WALES

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has operated one bilingual website since 2001 at a running cost of £1,600 per annum.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hits the  (a) most popular and  (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1 January 2007.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office operates one bilingual website. It does not record number of visitors.

General Elections

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what contingency preparations his Department made for the possibility of a general election in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Edward Miliband) on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 822-23W.

SCOTLAND

Energy Supply

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on energy supply issues.

David Cairns: The Government's position on energy supply was set out clearly in our Energy White paper. The Scottish Executive has responded to the White Paper and to our consultation on nuclear energy.

Drugs in Prison

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet Ministers from the Scottish Executive to discuss policy on drugs in prisons.

David Cairns: I have no plans to meet Scottish Ministers to discuss this matter.

Economic Trends

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of economic trends in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the performance of the Scottish economy in the last quarter.

Des Browne: Thanks to the policies of this Government the Scottish economy is performing admirably with economic growth of 2.4 per cent. for the year to Q1, which continues to exceed the long-term average, and extends an impressive run of 11 consecutive quarters of greater than trend growth.

International Aid

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister of Scotland on international aid and development.

David Cairns: No such discussions have taken place.

Glasgow Commonwealth Games Bid

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games bid.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has been working closely with the Scottish Executive, DCMS and the Intellectual Property Office to facilitate and support Glasgow's bid for the 2014 Games.

Clean Coal

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the future for clean coal in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: As made clear in the Energy White Paper, the Government are working at a national and international level to develop clean coal technology. I have had a number of meetings with the coal industry and related sectors in Scotland at which clean coal technology has been discussed.

Wind Farms

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussion he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on generation of electricity by wind farms in Scotland.

Des Browne: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of energy matters, including generation from wind farms. In the last couple of months I have also met Scottish and Southern Energy, ScottishPower and Talisman Energy Ltd.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK military and related personnel have been maimed or injured in Afghanistan since June 2006, broken down by  (a) category and  (b) severity of injury.

Derek Twigg: Information on casualty figures for Afghanistan can be found on the relevant section of the MOD website, which is updated twice per month at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishCasualties.htm
	Between 1 June 2006 and 15 September 2007, field hospitals in Afghanistan recorded 842 admissions for UK military and civilian personnel. Of these, 249 were categorised as wounded in action, with the other 593 admitted for disease or non-battle injuries.
	Over the same period, 33 personnel were recorded as very seriously injured or wounded and 36 as seriously injured or wounded.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel have lost limbs, or parts thereof, from mine strikes in Afghanistan on  (a) WMIK and  (b) Snatch Landrover vehicles.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK infantry units in Afghanistan are not equipped with the Blue Force tracker system.

Des Browne: No UK infantry units are equipped with the Blue Force tracker system, which is a US system. All formed company-level UK infantry units in Afghanistan are equipped with Bowman, which provides a blue force tracking capability. Other systems are also available to UK forces in Afghanistan. I am withholding details of the distribution of free standing blue force tracking systems as their release would prejudice the safety or security of our armed forces.

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits from the new Commonwealth have applied to have their  (a) spouse and  (b) children join them in the UK in each of the last five years; and how many have applied for British citizenship since becoming members of the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: It is very much a personal decision as to whether non-British personnel bring their families over to the UK to join them, and whether serving members of the armed forces apply for British citizenship. The information requested is therefore not recorded by the Department.

Armed Forces: Correspondence

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many instances of lost mail between military personnel and their families have been recorded in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: The British Forces Post Office handles approximately 92 million items of mail per year. Between October 2006 and October 2007 there have been 520 confirmed claims for non-delivery of mail.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake a review of the provision of post-operative rehabilitation services available to members of the armed forces who have suffered injury while carrying out their duties; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: MOD has excellent medical rehabilitation services. If military patients require further rehabilitation care following initial hospital treatment, they may be referred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court in Surrey, which is the principal medical rehabilitation centre run by the armed forces and widely praised for its work. DMRC provides both physiotherapy and group rehabilitation for complex musculo-skeletal injuries, plus neuro-rehabilitation for brain-injured patients, after they have completed their hospital care.
	In exceptional circumstances, where specialist care is required that cannot be provided at Headley Court, such as cases of severe brain trauma, patients may be referred to specialist facilities in either NHS or private facilities.
	The Complex Rehabilitation and Amputee Unit, based within DMRC, provides high quality prosthetics and adaptations, manufactured on site and individually tailored as necessary to the specific patient. Priority is given to the provision of prosthetics to enable service personnel to resume service duties. In July 2007, I opened officially a new 30-bed annex at Headley Court, providing accommodation for low-dependency patients.
	Personnel with less serious musculo-skeletal injuries may also be referred to one of MOD's 15 Regional Rehabilitation Units in the UK and Germany, which provide accessible, regionally-based assessment and treatment, including physiotherapy and group rehabilitation facilities. They are staffed by specially trained doctors, physiotherapists and rehabilitation instructors, and enable patients to be assessed and treated in a timely fashion, with the aim of returning them to operational fitness when this is clinically possible.

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the disposals made to fund the £80 million towards single living accommodation announced on 25 September; and how much was generated by each.

Derek Twigg: This additional investment is not directly linked to one specific disposal.

Army: Drugs

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the principal conclusions are of the 12 month study by the Directorate of Army personnel strategy begun in April 2006, with particular reference to the reasons given for drug use by those who tested positive for  (a) cannabis only,  (b) ecstasy only and  (c) cocaine only.

Derek Twigg: The research report 'Prevention of Drug Misuse in the Army' study, which is being conducted by the Directorate of Army Personnel Strategy, has not yet concluded.

Ballistic Missile Defence

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason no debate, consultation or oral statement took place in the House before the decision announced in his written statement of 25 July to allow the installation and operation by the US Administration of equipment to allow receipt of satellite warnings of potentially hostile missile launches at RAF Menwith Hill; and whether any intelligence received via the installation will be made available to the United Kingdom at the same time as to the United States.

Des Browne: Defence Ministers routinely answer written and oral questions on missile defence issues and there are regular defence debates scheduled throughout the year to allow MPs to raise specific issues on the Floor of the House. My written ministerial statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 71WS was intended to keep the House informed of developments in areas of UK support to the US missile defence programme.
	The missile attack warning information to be routed through RAF Menwith Hill will be shared between the UK and US, as indicated in my written statement of 25 July 2007.

Ballistic Missile Defence

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the UK and US governments on the formal use of RAF Menwith Hill in the American Missile Defense System; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Des Browne: There is no memorandum of understanding covering these specific arrangements.

D Notices

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many D-Notices were issued by the Defence Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee in each year since 1997.

Des Browne: holding answer 15 October 2007
	D Notices were replaced by the Defence Advisory (DA) Notice system in 1993. There are five standing DA Notices that constitute a voluntary code that provides guidance to the United Kingdom media on the publication and broadcasting of national security information. They cover:
	DA Notice No 1: Military Operations and Plans;
	DA Notice No 2: Nuclear and Non-Nuclear Weapons and Equipment;
	DA Notice No 3: Ciphers and Secure Communications;
	DA Notice No 4: Sensitive Installations and Home Addresses;
	DA Notice No 5: United Kingdom Security and Intelligence Service and;
	Special Services.
	These are published at:
	www.dnotice.org.uk.
	Additional guidance is issued on behalf of the Committee by its Secretary to all editors in the United Kingdom to cover specific circumstances or to meet particular concerns. Since January 1997, the Committee Secretary has written to all UK editors on the following occasions in relation to various DA Notices:
	1997: No record of any letter being issued;
	1998: No record of any letter being issued;
	1999: Three letters;
	2000: Two letters;
	2001: Three letters;
	2002: One letter;
	2003: Two letters;
	2004: Two letters;
	2005: Two letters;
	2006: Two letters;
	2007: Seven letters.
	The Defence Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee Secretary may also write on behalf of the Committee to a particular editor, author or broadcaster when a breach in the DA Notice guidance is judged to have occurred. Such letters are written on a 'personal and in confidence' basis, to remind the editor, broadcaster or author concerned of the content of the code and the availability of advice. Since January 1997, the Secretary has written to individual editors on the following occasions:
	1997: One letter;
	1998: No record of any letters being issued;
	1999: Two letters;
	2000: Five letters;
	2001: Five letters;
	2002: Six letters;
	2003: Four letters;
	2004: Three letters;
	2005: Four letters;
	2006: Nil;
	2007: Nil.

Defence Export Services Organisation: Offices

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation are situated; when each office was established; how many staff are employed in each; and what the cost of each  (a) was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07 and  (b) is expected to be in 2007-08.

Des Browne: The information on overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) is set out in the following table. The entries for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia refer to trade promotion offices. These are separate from the Project Offices in those countries, information about which I gave the hon. Member in a written answer on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 504W. The two project offices were established in Saudi Arabia in 1987, and in Kuwait in 1993. Customer governments meet the costs of the project offices and I am withholding that information as its release would be likely to prejudice relations with those governments.
	
		
			  DESO Overseas Offices 
			  Office  Date established  Staff numbers April 2007( 1)  Cost 2005-06 (£000)( 2)  Cost 2006-07 (£000)( 2)  Cost 2007-08 (£000)( 2) 
			 Kuwait 1988 2 89 128 135 
			 India 1984 5 177 136 177 
			 Libya 2006 1 — 60 114 
			 UAE 1999 2 77 101 81 
			 Qatar(3) 1998 1 100 91 27 
			 Oman 2003 3 204 218 238 
			 Saudi Arabia 2004 1 95 101 103 
			 Brunei 1995 2 117 125 130 
			 Australia 1989 2 84 81 100 
			 South Korea 1988 3 184 269 242 
			 Japan 2003 2 145 107 169 
			 Singapore(4) 2001 0 98 160 - 
			 Malaysia 1986 5 190 173 167 
			 Vietnam 2005 1 7 16 17 
			 Turkey 1998 1 32 31 41 
			 Chile 2003 2 134 175 92 
			 Romania 2004 2 110 141 144 
			 Greece 2000 2 117 130 141 
			 Brazil 2003 1 12 12 15 
			 South Africa 2000 1 82 88 80 
			 Trinidad and Tobago(5) 2005 — 111 24 — 
			 (1) Figures include locally employed staff. Part-time staff are counted as whole.  (2) Costs for 2007-08, and some costs in the earlier years, have been estimated.  (3) Office closed June 2007.  (4) Office closed in March 2007 (5) Post discontinued January 2007.

Departments: Secondment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: AirTanker Ltd, the Department's Preferred Bidder, is currently undertaking a funding competition to raise the required private finance for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft procurement. The consortium aims to complete this process as soon as possible.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour intervals are for each unit deploying to Iraq in the autumn.

Des Browne: Details of the most recent tour intervals for the formed Army units due to deploy to Iraq in November and December are as follows:
	
		
			  Unit  Tour Interval  (months) 
			 The Royal Dragoon Guards 31 
			 Ist Bn Scots Guards 31 
			 The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Bn The Royal Regiment of Scotland(l) 1 Royal Scots: 18  1 King's Own Scottish Borderers: 16 
			 1st Bn The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)(2) n/a 
			 1st Bn The Cheshire Regiment 37 
			 21 Engineer Regiment 31 
			 (1) Royal Scots and 1 King's Own Scottish Borderers amalgamated to form The Royal Scots Borderers in August 06.  (2) King's Own Royal Border Regiment, 1 King's Regiment and the  1 Queen's Lancashire Regiment amalgamated in July 2006 to form 1 Lancashire Regiment and 2 Lancashire Regiment. Op TELIC 11 will be the first unit operational deployment for 1 Lancashire Regiment. 
		
	
	The formation of 1 Lancashire Regiment and 2 Lancashire Regiment involved the amalgamation of 1 King's Own Royal Border Regiment, 1 King's Regiment and the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, with both of the new regiments containing personnel from each of the three original regiments. It is not possible therefore to calculate meaningful historic average tour intervals for 1 Lancashire Regiment but, for information, 1 King's Own Royal Border Regiment returned from its previous deployment in April 2006 (equivalent to an 18 months interval) and 1 King's Regiment and the Queen's Lancashire Regiment returned from their previous deployments in October 2003 (equivalent to a 50 month tour interval).
	Royal Air Force ground units operate differently to those of the Army. While a unit might be deployed for four months, RAF personnel can rotate through the unit rather than remain deployed with it throughout. Therefore unit and personnel tour intervals are not necessarily the same.
	
		
			  Unit  Tour Interval (based upon last operational tour and current deployment) 
			 2 Force Protection Wing Headquarters 12 months 
			 34 Sqn Force Protection 12 months

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total annual cost was to the  (a) defence budget and  (b) reserve of payments made to servicemen arising from service in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in the latest period for which figures are available.

Des Browne: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The net additional cost for service personnel for service in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last period for which figures are available is as follows:
	
		
			  Operating cost 2006-07 
			   £000 
			  Service manpower  Total outturn 
			 Iraq 99,779 
			 Afghanistan 49,487 
		
	
	These net additional costs are met from the HM Treasury Reserve and not from the Defence budget.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft are in service in the RAF, broken down by type.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 509W.

Military Aircraft: Manpower

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of those who set out to be pilots of  (a) Eurofighter,  (b) GR7 Harrier,  (c) Merlin,  (d) Lynx,  (e) Sea King,  (f) Chinook and  (g) Apache were successful in each of the last three years.

Derek Twigg: After extensive early flying training, the RAF personnel are streamed, according to aptitude into one of three streams: Fast-jet (FJ), Rotary-wing (RW) or Multi-engine (ME). All of the Army personnel go to RW, most of the Navy personnel follow this same route, although some go on to FJ training. All of this ab initio training is conducted within the Air Force system.
	Following successful completion of ab initio training pilots enter an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) where they learn to operate the specific aircraft type for which they have been selected. The following table shows pass rates for pilots entering the OCU:
	
		
			   S uccessful  (percentage) 
			  2004-05  
			 Typhoon 100 
			 GR7 Harrier 92 
			 Merlin 100 
			 Lynx 100 
			 Sea King 100 
			 Chinook 94 
			 Apache 95 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Typhoon 100 
			 GR7 Harrier 100 
			 Merlin 100 
			 Lynx 100 
			 Sea King 100 
			 Chinook 100 
			 Apache 98 
			  2006-07  
			 Typhoon 97 
			 GR7 Harrier 100 
			 Merlin 100 
			 Lynx 98 
			 Sea King 100 
			 Chinook 94 
			 Apache 89 
			  Notes: 1. All totals have been rounded to the nearest whole percent. 2. Factors affecting success include: Failure to achieve course standards, medical downgrading and premature voluntary retirement. Unsuccessful candidates may be given employment elsewhere within the Service.

Nuclear Weapons: Transport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether approval has been granted for the main gate business case for the Defence Nuclear Weapons Transportation Continuation project.

Bob Ainsworth: The Main Gate Business Case for the Nuclear Weapon Transportation Capability Continuation Project was approved on 7 May 2007.

Nuclear Weapons: Transport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the option to use a refurbished truck cargo heavy duty trailer for future high security vehicle or special nuclear material movements is still under consideration.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes.

Nuclear Weapons: Transport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason it is his Department's policy that convoys carrying special nuclear materials should not look the same as convoys carrying nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The nature of individual convoys will determine their constitution. I am withholding details of the procedures governing convoy operations as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security and defence of the UK.

Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many roulements have been delayed in entering theatre due to aircraft availability in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq in each year since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: Each roulement involves a large number of flights.
	Inevitably, some individual flights are delayed for a range of reasons. As far as our records can determine, however, in no instance since 2001 has there been a significant overall delay to a roulement, with the timing of the Transfer of Authority from the departing to the arriving force structures going ahead essentially as originally planned.

RAF Blenheim Crescent

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the role is of RAF Blenheim Crescent; and for what reason it was divested to the United States Air Force on 1 October 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: Blenheim Crescent is currently undergoing a programme of renovation works. Upon completion of these works the following units will be based there; the European Office of Aerospace Research and Development, the US Army International Technology Center Atlantic, the Office of Naval Research Global, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Joint NATO National Support Element, the Defense Energy Support Center and the Fleet Industrial Supply Center.
	Blenheim Crescent was transferred to the United States Air Force for administrative purposes following the disestablishment of the Commander US Naval Activities in the UK.

RAF Blenheim Crescent

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many US  (a) Army,  (b) Navy,  (c) Marines,  (d) Airforce,  (e) civilians and  (f) contractors are working at RAF Blenheim Crescent.

Bob Ainsworth: Blenheim Crescent is currently vacant as the building is undergoing renovation. The US plans to move around 120 personnel into Blenheim Crescent over a period of several months with the first expected to arrive in November 2007. A precise breakdown of the final figure is not yet available although under current plans it is expected that the majority of personnel, around 50, will be employed by the US Navy with around 30 for the US Army and 25 for the US Air Force. The remainder will be a mix of contractors and civilian staff.

Sea King Helicopters

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the age is of each Sea King helicopter operated by the Department; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the age of each Sea King helicopter currently operated by the Department.
	
		
			  Sea King helicopter ages 
			  Tail No.  A/C Mk  Age of aircraft (years) 
			 XV647 5 38 
			 XV648 5 38 
			 XV649 7 38 
			 XV656 7 38 
			 XV661 5 38 
			 XV664 7 37 
			 XV666 5 37 
			 XV670 5 37 
			 XV671 7 37 
			 XV672 7 37 
			 XV673 5 37 
			 XV676 6C 37 
			 XV697 7 37 
			 XV699 5 36 
			 XV700 6C 36 
			 XV703 6C 36 
			 XV705 5 36 
			 XV707 7 36 
			 XV714 7 35 
			 XZ578 5 31 
			 XZ580 6C 30 
			 XZ585 3 30 
			 XZ586 3 30 
			 XZ587 3 30 
			 XZ588 3 30 
			 XZ589 3 30 
			 XZ590 3 30 
			 XZ591 3 29 
			 XZ592 3 29 
			 XZ593 3 29 
			 XZ594 3 29 
			 XZ595 3 29 
			 XZ596 3 29 
			 XZ597 3 29 
			 XZ598 3 29 
			 XZ599 3 29 
			 XZ920 5 28 
			 XZ922 6C 28 
			 ZA105 3 27 
			 ZA126 7 27 
			 ZA130 5 27 
			 ZA134 5 26 
			 ZA137 5 26 
			 ZA166 5 25 
			 ZA167 5 25 
			 ZA291 4 28 
			 ZA292 4 28 
			 ZA293 4 27 
			 ZA295 4 27 
			 ZA296 4 27 
			 ZA297 4 27 
			 ZA298 4 26 
			 ZA299 4 26 
			 ZA310 4 26 
			 ZA312 4 26 
			 ZA313 4 26 
			 ZA314 4 25 
			 ZB507 4 25 
			 ZD476 4 23 
			 ZD477 4 24 
			 ZD479 4 24 
			 ZD480 4 24 
			 ZD625 4 23 
			 ZD626 4 23 
			 ZD627 4 23 
			 ZD636 7 23 
			 ZE368 3 22 
			 ZE369 3 22 
			 ZE370 3 22 
			 ZE418 7 22 
			 ZE420 7 21 
			 ZE422 7 21 
			 ZE425 4 22 
			 ZE426 4 22 
			 ZE427 4 22 
			 ZE428 4 22 
			 ZF115 4 21 
			 ZF116 4 21 
			 ZF117 4 21 
			 ZF118 4 21 
			 ZF119 4 21 
			 ZF120 4 21 
			 ZF121 4 21 
			 ZF122 4 21 
			 ZF123 4 21 
			 ZF124 4 20 
			 ZG820 4 17 
			 ZG821 4 17 
			 ZG822 4 17 
			 ZH540 3A 12 
			 ZH541 3A 12 
			 ZH542 3A 12 
			 ZH543 3A 12 
			 ZH544 3A 12 
			 ZH545 3A 10

Sea King Helicopters

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours of service and maintenance were needed to support one hour of flying for the Sea King helicopter fleet in each year from 1990-91 to 2006-07; what his estimate is of the equivalent figure for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of maintenance hours needed to support one hour of flying for the Sea King helicopter fleet are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1998-99 18.3 
			 1999-2000 15.3 
			 2000-01 15.0 
			 2001-02 18.5 
			 2002-03 20.1 
			 2003-04 23.2 
			 2004-05 22.2 
			 2005-06 21.9 
			 2006-07 17.9 
			 2007-08 (1)15.2 
			 (1) The 2007-08 hours are those recorded to date (i.e. up to 10 October 2007). 
		
	
	The hours prior to 1998-99 are not available from a central source and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Fisheries: Protection

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1800W, on fisheries: protection, what factors were taken into account in deciding to reduce the number of patrol days per year; and what the basis was for the assessment that the operational needs could be delivered through fewer days.

Jonathan R Shaw: The key factors that were taken into account were the cost of the provision of the service to the Marine and Fisheries Agency, the available budget and future operational needs. The 700 patrol days for 2008-09 will be delivered by the River Class Patrol Vessels. These vessels are purpose built and more effective and efficient for the equivalent time at sea than the Hunt Class vessels, which provide some of the current patrol time.

Floods: Chesterfield

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government expects flood defences to be put in place for the river  (a) Whitting,  (b) Hipper and  (c) Rother.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency's Flood Risk Management Strategy on the Don Catchment will take approximately 18 to 24 months to complete. A decision about flood risk measures will be made following its completion.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what guidance the Commissioners follow on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners do not have a formal target for responding to such correspondence but they do aim to respond in the shortest time reasonably possible. I believe that hon. Members receive from the Commissioners sufficiently swift responses or holding replies where the matter requires more detailed research.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what guidance the Commission follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: The Commission receives relatively little correspondence from hon. Members but answers some 300 parliamentary questions a year. Parliamentary questions are answered whenever possible within the normal targets and other correspondence is dealt with as expeditiously as possible.

Departments: Manpower

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many people work on the Commons part of the Parliamentary Estate.

Nick Harvey: About 4,700 people work in the nine buildings of the House of Commons part of the Parliamentary Estate. Apart from 646 Members, there are about 1,200 MPs' staff, 1,700 staff of the House and up to 1,200 contractors' staff (many of whom work for both Houses).

Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will place in the Library a copy of the Commission's policy on whistleblowing.

Nick Harvey: The House is not within the scope of the relevant sections of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. However, the staff handbook, which is available on the parliamentary intranet, does contain sections on safeguarding official information (section 5.18), crises of conscience (section 5.28) and grievance (section 6). These are supported by a core values statement on integrity, in serving the House of Commons, its Committees and Members, and the public with honesty, probity and political impartiality. The statement can be found in House of Commons corporate business plan 2007 which is also available on the intranet.

Escalators

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the original life expectancy was of the escalators installed to access Portcullis House; how long elapsed before they were replaced; how much the recent works to install new escalators at this location have cost; and for what reason the motion sensitivity feature is not being deployed.

Nick Harvey: Escalators of this type would be expected to have a life expectancy of about 10 years—those in Portcullis House were installed in 1999 and replaced after eight years in 2007. The tender cost was £327,000 and the project was completed on budget. The motion sensitivity feature is not currently operational as a precautionary measure due to a component in similar escalator being found to be faulty. It is anticipated that the motion facility will be re-instated for Monday 12 November 2007.

Food: Allergies

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what training and advice staff in the Refreshment Department receive on food allergies.

Nick Harvey: Food handlers working in the House of Commons Refreshment Department receive training on food allergy risks and control procedures as part of their food hygiene training. Over 250 staff have attended foundation or basic level training, and more than 10 per cent. of staff are further trained to intermediate or advanced level. Specific allergy awareness training was delivered to approximately 40 staff in November to December 2006. In consultation with an external specialist, the Department is currently in the process of designing and coordinating a tailored programme of food allergy training, to be delivered to all food handlers over the next six months.
	Procedures for managing the risks and control of food allergens are set out in the Department's Food Safety Manual, which is regularly reviewed, updated and promulgated to staff. Further guidance is set out in the publication "Allergy Catering Manual", a copy of which is provided to food procurement and food stores staff as well as being available in each kitchen.

Food: Allergies

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when the Refreshment Department last reviewed its policies and procedures on food allergies.

Nick Harvey: The Refreshment Department last reviewed its policies and procedures on food allergies in January 2007. This was carried out in consultation with the Department's retained food hygiene adviser, Hygiene Audit Systems, who have to date provided food allergy training to 800 environmental health practitioners under a contract awarded by the Food Standards Agency.
	The Department's Food Safety Policy and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Manual, which sets out procedures for food handlers in respect of the control of food allergens, was last reviewed by Westminster city council's Environmental Health Officer as part of their regular inspection of the House of Commons catering premises in March 2007.

Portcullis House: Refrigerators

Lynne Jones: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the efficiency rating is of refrigerators installed in hon. Members' offices in Portcullis House; and what advice is issued to hon. Members about maximising the efficiency of those refrigerators.

Nick Harvey: The efficiency rating of the fridges installed in hon. Members' offices in Portcullis House is A. Improving the efficiency by fitting energy saving controls and removing the doors to the cupboards containing the fridges is being considered at present. Written advice on maximising the efficiency of the fridges is to be issued shortly to hon. Members.

Press Gallery: Repairs and Maintenance

Frank Doran: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make a statement on the refurbishment of the press gallery.

Nick Harvey: The refurbishment of the Press Gallery has been a project to modernise accommodation used by the journalists and political correspondents based in the Palace of Westminster for the purposes of reporting on the business of Parliament. The press have had a recognised presence in the House of Commons since 1803, when Speaker Abbott ruled that they should have privileged access to the Gallery.
	The Press Gallery is one of the last areas of the Palace to be modernised. Over the 2006 summer recess, the House of Commons began the first phase of the project to bring the offices in line with workplace health and safety and disability discrimination regulations. The second and final phase of works was completed over the 2007 summer recess, during which the entire Press Gallery was decanted. The project also involved refitting and updating the catering facilities in that area of the Palace in order to make more efficient use of the space. The final handover of office accommodation and the new catering facilities took place on 15 October.
	The project was completed at a total cost of £7.71 million to the House. As well as modern office accommodation, the improved facilities include a new kitchen and a multi-purpose restaurant and cafe/bar, to be called "Moncrieff's". The refurbished Press Gallery will be launched by Mr. Speaker on 20 November.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departments: Fixed Penalties

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not incurred any fixed penalty tickets, within its purview, in the last year.

Sports: Community Development

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what effect he expects the establishment of a sporting village to have on the local community.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) on 11 June 2007,  Official Report, column 743W.

Swimming Pools

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many diving pits there are in England; and where each is located.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Active Places database lists 64 diving pools which can be defined as diving pits using the following criteria—an indoor pool specifically for diving which is usually square in shape and deeper than the main pool.
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report , columns 335-36W, for the location of these 64 diving facilities.
	In addition and since my reply of 8 October 2007, a new diving pool/pit has opened in Leeds. This facility will be included on the Active Places database in due course.

Swimming Pools

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 334-6W, on swimming pools, 
	(1)  how many diving pools have  (a) closed and  (b) opened in England since 1997; and how many of the diving pools are open to the public;
	(2)  how many of these diving pools are open to the general public.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on diving pool closures across England was not collected centrally prior to 2004, when the Active Places sports facilities database was established. We are aware that two diving pools have closed permanently since that time (William Thompson Recreation Centre, Burnley and Edmonton Leisure Centre).
	64 diving pools listed on Active Places are usually accessible to the public. However, one (Crystal Palace Sports Centre) is temporarily closed for refurbishment. Six of these diving pools have been newly built since 1997 and a further 15 refurbished over the same period.

Swimming Pools

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 334-6W, on swimming pools, how many of the diving pools referred to provide a 10 metre high diving board.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are aware of six diving pools listed on the Active Places database which provide 10 metre high diving boards. They are located in: Leeds; London; Manchester; Plymouth; Sheffield; and Southampton. Five of these facilities are currently available for use and one (London) is closed temporarily for refurbishment.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what representations she has received on proposals for a combined equality duty.

Barbara Follett: We have received around 1,000 responses on the Government's proposals for a single equality duty from a variety of stakeholders including public authorities, equality stakeholders and individuals. We are currently considering these responses and will publish a formal Government response to the consultation in due course.

Gender: Equality

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans she has to protect transgender people from discrimination, beyond those who have had, or seek, gender reassignment; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 provides protection from discrimination to people who intend to undergo, are undergoing or have undergone gender reassignment in the area of employment and vocational training. Our recent consultation "A Framework for Fairness" set out our proposals for implementing the EU Gender Directive and for a single Equality Bill, including proposals to extend the current protection on grounds of gender reassignment to the area of goods, facilities, services, premises and public functions. We have received a wealth of representations on the issue of widening the group of people protected under these provisions and are continuing to consider carefully people's views and the range of evidence that has been provided.

JUSTICE

Animal Welfare: Prosecutions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for animal cruelty were brought in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences of animal cruelty in Lancashire, and England and Wales from 2001 to 2005 are shown in the following table. Data for 2006 will be available in November 2007. Charging statistics are not held by my Department.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences relating to cruelty to animals, in England and Wales and Lancashire police force area for the years 2001 to 2005( 1, 2, 3) 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Lancashire 46 51 39 32 43 
			 England and Wales 1,121 1,145 1,106 1,117 1,227 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Source: Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice.

Dangerous Driving

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals for legislation to provide for an offence of causing the death of an unborn baby by dangerous driving; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: There are no current plans to introduce a specific offence of causing death of an unborn child by dangerous driving. We do not believe such an offence is necessary. Dangerous driving is already an offence. If an unborn child is killed but the mother survives, the driver could be charged with causing the mother grievous bodily harm under section 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 if they acted recklessly. We have received one petition with 910 signatures about this issue.

Family Courts

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether there are plans to require parties in children's cases to attend a meeting with a mediator;
	(2)  whether there are plans to change family proceedings rules to require parties in children's cases to meet a mediator before proceeding;
	(3)  if he will require the parties in cases concerning residence of children and contact to attend a mediation assessment before commencing court proceedings.

Bridget Prentice: Parties applying for public funding under the Community Legal Service are already required to attend a meeting with a mediator to consider mediation. This requirement may be waived if there are special circumstances such as domestic violence or the case is very urgent.
	The Government continue to encourage the greater use of family mediation but do not believe that it should be made compulsory or that all parties in disputes over child residence and contact should be required to attend a meeting with a mediator.
	The Government will make changes to court rules and application forms to facilitate referrals to family mediation where the court considers this would be beneficial.
	The Children and Adoption Act 2006 when fully implemented will enable the court to direct parties to attend a meeting to learn about mediation in cases where it considers this is appropriate.

Featherstone Prison: Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the usable operational life expectancy is of the rapid build residential units at HMP Featherstone.

David Hanson: The Rapid Build Residential Unit (64 places), opened in July 2007, has a 40 year life expectancy.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison places created since 1997 are in accommodation with an operational life expectancy of less than 10 years.

David Hanson: The modular temporary units providing 1,160 prison places, installed in the financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04, have an estimated life expectancy of less than 10 years.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison places created since 1997 have been created by putting more prisoners in existing cells.

David Hanson: Of the over 20,000 prison places provided since 1997, around 3,000 have been created by placing more prisoners in existing accommodation.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many spaces in modular temporary units built between 2002 and 2006 the Ministry expects to reach the end of their useful operational life in each of the next five years.

David Hanson: Condition surveys are currently being undertaken to establish the condition of the modular temporary units provided in the years 2002-03 and 2003-04 and a forecast of each one's remaining operational life.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison spaces are in modular temporary units; and how many of these have been in use for  (a) more than five years,  (b) between four and five years,  (c) between three and four years and  (d) less than three years.

David Hanson: The 1,160 prison places provided in modular temporary units were delivered between August 2002 and August 2003 and all units are still in use.

Prison Service: Disciplinary Proceedings

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many investigations are ongoing at HM Prison Service Investigation Support Unit; what proportion of these are staff disciplinary matters; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: On 10 October HM Prison Service's Investigation Support Section held on file details of 547 open investigations. All of these investigations are noted on this database as being conducted under the terms of PSO 8460 Conduct and Discipline.

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the evidential basis is upon which his Department projects the rate of expansion in the prison population to 2010-11.

David Hanson: Prison population projections are calculated using a range of mathematical models. The evidential basis for these calculations is a mixture of observed prison population data, sentencing data (wherever this is possible) and stakeholder assumptions. The stakeholders are experts drawn from the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and across the Criminal Justice System. The latest projections were published in the Ministry of Justice Statistical Bulletin "Prison population projections 2007-2014, England and Wales" (August 2007).
	This is available on the Ministry of Justice website (http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonpopulation.htm). The models used in the calculations are described in Annex C and the stakeholder assumptions in Annex B of the Statistical Bulletin. Copies of the Statistical Bulletin will be sent to the Libraries of the House.

Prisoners Release: Drugs

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners died of a drugs overdose or drugs related illness while on early release in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: A comprehensive treatment framework is available in prisons to address the problems caused by substance misuse. This includes:
	clinical interventions;
	CARATs (Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare service);
	intensive drug treatment programmes.
	CARAT teams offer harm minimisation advice and work closely with the Drug Interventions Programme and Offender Managers in making the necessary throughcare arrangements to ensure continuity of drug treatment on release.
	Drug users can experience a reduced tolerance to drugs from their time in custody, which can increase the risk of drug related overdose on release. The prison treatment framework is designed to reduce that risk.
	Improved quality of clinical treatment is being introduced in 53 prisons through IDTS(1), which will see maintenance prescribing much more widely used according to need and will reduce considerably the risk of overdose on release.
	The information requested is not directly available. The latest research shows that newly-released prisoners are at considerably increased risk of a drugs overdose compared to their peers in the community, particularly in the first two weeks after release.
	However, the research relates to a period prior to the introduction of the treatment framework and does not reflect the most recent advances in prison treatment.
	(1 )Integrated Drug Treatment System

Prisoners: Females

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the Government will publish its response to the Corston review.

David Hanson: The Government have given a broad welcome to the report. The 43 recommendations which it makes are wide-ranging and propose action by a number of different Government Departments and organisations. We are carefully exploring the best way of taking forward the recommendations with all the Departments and agencies concerned and will publish a detailed response by late autumn.

Prisoners: Transsexuality

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidelines are in place for dealing with transgender prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prisoners are entitled to receive the full range of NHS services. In rare cases where a prisoner has or has had a gender dysphoria, a draft prison service order has been prepared. This contains guidance on the management, treatment and care of these prisoners—both pre and post-operative transsexual people.
	This document is currently subject to a formal consultation exercise involving a wide range of stakeholders. The document will be reviewed in light of the comments received and issued at the beginning of next year. Copies will be placed in the Library.

Prisoners: Voting Rights

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government plans to legislate to give convicted prisoners the right to vote following the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst  v. UK.

Bridget Prentice: The Government are currently considering how to take forward the implementation of the Hirst judgment in light of the first stage consultation on this issue.

Prisons: Education

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment his Department has made of the value of courses on enhanced thinking skills for convicted prisoners.

David Hanson: In 2004 RDS commissioned a qualitative study to examine programme experience of prisoners completing cognitive skills training (Clarke et al. 2004). Both prisoners and staff reported short term benefits for prisoners such as improved prisoner behaviour; increased self-confidence; enhanced literacy skills and better interpersonal skills. Completion of cognitive skills also helped to prepared prisoners for other offending behaviour programmes.
	A randomised control trial of ETS, commissioned by Research, Development and Statistics—National Offender Management Service (RDS NOMS) will be published in December 2007. This will robustly evaluate the immediate impact of ETS on interim measures of thinking and prison behaviour. The current RDS NOMS programme also includes further research on the effectiveness of other Offending Behaviour Programmes based on rigorous research designs.

Prisons: Information

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what categories of information not held centrally within HM Prison Service are collected across  (a) HM Prison Service regions and  (b) HM Prison establishments; by what means such information is collected; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prison establishments hold detailed records and reports on individual prisoners and members of staff and local operational records in a variety of electronic and paper formats. While much of these data can be interrogated centrally, there are some questions that can only be answered by analysing paper files manually, and therefore at disproportionate cost. Information held in HM Prison Service area offices is normally accessible centrally for the purpose of answering parliamentary questions.

Public Defender Service

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Public Defender Service and the role it will play in the criminal justice system.

Maria Eagle: The Government commissioned an independent team of leading academics to undertake a full assessment of the Public Defender Service (PDS) pilot. The report concluded that the PDS has established a reputation amongst clients and other criminal justice professionals for the robust and independent defence of its clients. The final report entitled "Evaluation of the Public Defender Service in England and Wales" was published on 8 January 2007 and can be found on the Legal Services Commission's website and in the Libraries of the House.

Repossession Orders: Mortgages

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) mortgage repossession claims and  (b) mortgage repossession orders were made in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: The following table shows the number of mortgage repossession claims issued and mortgage repossession orders made in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2006-07.
	
		
			  Number of mortgage repossession claims issued and orders made in the county courts of England and Wales, 1996-97 and 2006-07( 1) 
			   Claims issued  Orders made( 2 ) (inc. suspended orders) 
			 1996-97 72,169 65,555 
			 2006-07 132,781 91,131 
			 (1) Figures for 2007 Q2 are available online at http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/mortgatelandlordpossession.htm (2) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. 
		
	
	These figures do not indicate how many houses have been repossessed through the courts, since not all orders result in the properties actually being repossessed.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is funded by the solicitors' profession through the Law Society and incurs no cost to the public purse.
	Some public funding is given, however, to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) which, although independent of both the SRA and the Law Society, is an integral element of the profession's disciplinary arrangements. This funding amounted to £55,569.47 in the financial year from April 2006 to March 2007; and £49,259.49 in the calendar year from January to September 2007. These figures include spends on SDT fees, social security contributions and travel and subsistence payments.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the full membership of the Solicitors Regulation Authority is; and when members were appointed.

Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) board consists of 16 members—nine solicitors (one of whom chairs the board) and seven lay people. Board members were appointed for a term of four years from 1 January 2006.
	The current board members are:
	Peter Williamson (Chair); Alan Baker; Yvonne Brown; Duncan Gear; Sally Irvine; Alan Kershaw; Sir Stephen Lander; Andrew Long; Penelope Owston; Sally Ruthen; Edward Solomons; Dr. Jonathan Spencer; John Stoker; Richard Taylor; Stephen Walzer; and Stephen Whittle.
	Full details about the board members can be found on the SRA's website.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received about the effectiveness of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Bridget Prentice: I am not aware of any formal representations received by this Department about the effectiveness of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). However, several Members of Parliament have explicitly endorsed the SRA's efficiency and effectiveness in handling specific regulatory issues. In addition, this Department routinely receives general correspondence from Members of Parliament and from the public concerning the SRA.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he last met Mr. Antony Townsend, Chief Executive Officer of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Bridget Prentice: The Secretary of State has not met with Antony Townsend in his capacity as Chief Executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Mr. Townsend has, however, met with Ministers on several occasions since his appointment. I hosted the most recent of these meetings on 10 July 2007.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received from ethnic monitoring firms about their treatment by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Bridget Prentice: I am not aware of any representations received by this Department from ethnic minority firms about their treatment by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). However, as a result of internal concerns about a statistical disparity showing that black and minority ethnic solicitors were over-represented in regulatory decisions, the SRA commissioned an external analysis of this issue, resulting in the publication in July 2006 of the report "The impact of regulatory decisions of the Investigations and Enforcement Unit on black and minority ethnic solicitors". The SRA is now following a programme of action aimed at discharging its responsibility for protecting the public interest fairly and in a manner that is non-discriminatory.

Youth Offending Teams: Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what future funding is planned for youth offending teams; and what change this represents compared with current levels.

David Hanson: Youth offending teams are local authority multi agency teams made up of five statutory partners: police, probation, social services, education and health. YOTs are funded by these five statutory partners, the local authority chief executive and by the Youth Justice Board.
	The existing funding arrangements by probation services will continue for 2008-09 and the options for funding beyond this are currently being explored in light of the new arrangements contained in the Offender Management Act. Probation services will remain a statutory partner in YOTs.
	The Youth Justice Board provide a variety of grants to YOTs and decisions on future levels of payment have yet to be made.

PRIME MINISTER

Cabinet Committee on London

Eric Pickles: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the Cabinet Committee on London (MISC 26) has been abolished.

Gordon Brown: The Government remains fully committed to delivering high quality public services throughout London. On 23 July I announced a new Cabinet Committee structure ( Official Report, column 46WS), copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. There are now a smaller number of broader ranging, more cross-cutting Committees. Under the new structure, the delivery of public services in London will be considered by the Cabinet Committee with responsibility for the relevant policy area.

Committee on Standards in Public Life

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  for what reasons and on what date it was decided to not invite Sir Alistair Graham to serve a second term as Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
	(2)  what the recruitment process is for appointing a new permanent Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and on what date he expects to make such an appointment.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2167W.

Departmental Responsibilities: Offshore Industry

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he gave when he last re-organised Government departments and their responsibilities to giving the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs responsibility for offshore oil, gas and energy consents; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I announced changes to the Machinery of Government in a Written Ministerial Statement on 28 June 2007 ( Official Report, columns 36-40WS). Departmental responsibilities are kept under constant review.

Departments: Taxis

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent by his Office on taxis in the last 12 months.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 531W.

Foreign Relations: Video Recordings

Chris Mullin: To ask the Prime Minister what record is kept of video conferences between him and the President of the United States; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Records are kept in accordance with 'Private Office Records Guidance' prepared by the Cabinet Office and the National Archives. Copies of this guidance are available on the National Archives website.

Prime Ministerial Visits

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Prime Minister which NHS hospitals he has visited since 27th June.

Anne Main: To ask the Prime Minister when he last visited a tax credit office in his official capacity.

Gordon Brown: A list of my UK visits will be published in the usual way following the end of the financial year. My visits cover a range of matters including health, education, criminal justice and the economy, details of which can be found on the No. 10 website.

Martin Howard: Honours

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister who nominated Martin Howard for an honour.

Gordon Brown: In accordance with the practice of successive governments, the identities of those making nominations for honours, and the detailed handling of nominations, are kept confidential.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Prime Minister if he will expedite the reply to the letter to him dated 2nd August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. C. Fairhurst, which he forwarded for reply to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Gordon Brown: A reply has been sent.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Department Accountacy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what accounts directions were issued by his Department in financial years  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Paul Goggins: Under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 HM Treasury issue accounts directions to departments, pension schemes and agencies, and under the Government Trading Fund Act 1973 to trading funds.
	For the years 2005-06 and 2006-07 the Northern Ireland Office has issued accounts directions for the form and content of resource and other accounts to the following sponsored bodies:
	 2005-06
	Police Service of Northern Ireland
	 2006 - 07
	Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust
	Northern Ireland Police Fund
	Northern Ireland Election Office (Returning Officers Expenses)
	Office of the Oversight Commissioner

Armed Conflict

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Office has provided any support to other national Governments dealing with community conflict.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 October 2007,  Official Report , columns 451-52W.
	From time to time embassies and high commissions engage with the NIO to learn more about the Northern Ireland peace process.

Departments: ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of buying new  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistant devices for new Ministers in his Department following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The following table illustrates the cost of buying new  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistant devices for new Ministers by the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of laptops purchased  Cost (£)  Number of mobile phones purchased  Cost (£)  Number of personal digital assistant devices (blackberries) purchased  Cost (£) 
			 1997-98 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1998-99 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1999-2000 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2000-01 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2001-02 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2002-03 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 0 2 94 0 0 
			 2005-06 0 0 0 0 3 750 
			 2006-07 0 0 0 0 0 0

Economic Policy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what policies his Office has adopted to assist the United Kingdom's fulfilment of the Lisbon Agenda criteria.

Paul Goggins: Policies adopted in Northern Ireland to assist fulfilment of the Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth is a matter for the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland.
	The Northern Ireland Executive contributed to the update published by HM Treasury in September 2007 on progress in implementing the Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth. This is available at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/international_issues/european_economic_reform/int_lisbonstrategy_jobs.cfm.

Northern Ireland Office: Publicity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media.

Paul Goggins: The following table illustrates the total projected spend on advertising and promotional campaigns by the Northern Ireland Office, excluding its Agencies and executive NDPBs. We are unable to provide the breakdown requested by the hon. Member.
	
		
			   Projected expenditure (£) 
			  Advertising/promotional campaign  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Community Safety Campaign 206,600 — 
			 Fireworks Public Safety Awareness and Enforcement Campaign 185,000 185,000 
			 Organised Crime Branch: Fake Goods Christmas Campaign, Extortion Campaign 17,765 — 
			 Announcement of new legislation governing Security Licensing Industry 5,000 — 
			 Public appeal for information to help locate victims remains. 5,000 —

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency: Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bonus payments were made to Child Support Agency staff in each year since 1997, broken down by value of payments.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the earlier response to his parliamentary question on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1192W.

Child Support Agency: Vertex

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on performance in relation to Child Support Agency work carried out by Vertex at its offices in Bolton.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 16 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on performance in relation to Child Support Agency work carried out by Vertex at its offices in Bolton.
	Vertex Data Science Ltd manages the CSA Bolton site, a new unit we have established to deal with our clerical cases. These are cases, which for technical reasons it is not possible for our new computer system to progress. By moving all the clerical work undertaken by the Agency to one site we have released people to focus on other improvement work including reducing the number of uncleared applications to the lowest levels since 1999 and strengthening enforcement.
	While the arrangement has been generally beneficial, we have experienced some operational issues including expressions of concern from some clients, MPs and the Independent Case Examiner about how the Bolton site is currently managing complaints. The Agency has now taken steps to ensure that our service to clients improves in the future. All complaints with MP or Independent Case Examiner involvement as well as those cases that require a review will be transferred to specialist caseworkers within the Agency over the coming months.
	As you will know, the Agency has cleared significant numbers of applications in the last year, with uncleared cases falling by 31% across both schemes. As a result the increase in volumes of cases requiring clerical processing to be dealt with in Bolton has been higher than initially forecast and transferring complaints work to other sites within the Agency will allow CSA Bolton to focus on collecting maintenance in those cases.
	Our Minister, Lord McKenzie has also recently written to all MPs concerning the changes the Agency has made to the complaints resolution process, including transferring these complaints from the Bolton office.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Child Support Agency: Vertex

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on the performance of the Bolton office of the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 16 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received on the performance of the Bolton office of the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.
	Vertex Data Science Ltd manages the CSA Bolton site, a new unit we have established to deal with our clerical cases. These are cases, which for technical reasons it is not possible for our new computer system to progress. By moving all the clerical work undertaken by the Agency to one site we have released people to focus on other improvement work including reducing the number of uncleared applications to the lowest levels since 1999 and strengthening enforcement.
	While the arrangement has been generally beneficial, we have experienced some operational issues including expressions of concern from some clients, MPs and the Independent Case Examiner about how the Bolton site is currently managing complaints. The Agency has now taken steps to ensure that our service to clients improves in the future. All complaints with MP or Independent Case Examiner involvement as well as those cases that require a review will be transferred to specialist caseworkers within the Agency over the coming months.
	As you will know, the Agency has cleared significant numbers of applications in the last year, with uncleared cases falling by 31% across both schemes. As a result the increase in volumes of cases requiring clerical processing to be dealt with in Bolton has been higher than initially forecast and transferring complaints work to other sites within the Agency will allow CSA Bolton to focus on collecting maintenance in those cases.
	Our Minister, Lord McKenzie has also recently written to all MPs concerning the changes the Agency has made to the complaints resolution process, including transferring these complaints from the Bolton office.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departments: Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account directions were issued by his Department in financial years  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Anne McGuire: Under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 HM Treasury issue accounts directions to departments, pension schemes and agencies and under the Government Trading Fund Act 1973 to trading funds.
	For the years 2005-06 and 2006-07 the Department for Work and Pensions has issued accounts directions for the form and content of resource and other accounts to the following sponsored bodies:
	 2005-06
	The Pension Protection Fund
	The Pensions Regulator
	 2006-07
	None
	Directions were also issued to the following sponsored bodies prior to the above dates and these were still extant during the period in question:
	 2004-05
	Health and Safety Executive
	Health and Safety Commission
	Pensions Compensation Board
	 2001-02
	Disability Rights Commission
	Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority

Departments: Manpower

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are employed by his Department, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions employed a total of 117,854 staff (equating to 106,040 full-time equivalents) as at the end of August 2007. It is not possible to break down the number of staff by parliamentary constituency since the Department's staffing is not recorded on this basis. To obtain information on this basis would be at disproportionate cost.

Disability Living Allowance

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new Disability Living Allowance claims were processed between April 2006 and January 2007; how many were  (a) rejected,  (b) rejected or reduced following medical evidence and  (c) appealed, broken down by the result of the appeal.

Anne McGuire: Between April 2006 and January 2007, there were 350,400 decisions made on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) new claims. 187,480 new claims were refused and of these 117,854 were rejected or refused following medical evidence. The available information about the number of claims that were appealed is in the following table.
	
		
			  DLA appeals broken down by type of award: April 2006 to January 2007 
			   Number 
			 Withdrawn after submission 5,476 
			 Award reduced 217 
			 Award reduced—care to low rate 27 
			 Award reduced—Mobility to low rate 17 
			 Award reduced—care and mobility to low rate 5 
			 Award maintained 25,711 
			 Award varied 528 
			 Award increased 6,400 
			 Lapsed 7,198 
			 Allowed 17,277 
			 Defective 202 
			 Superseded 68 
			 Disallowed 893 
			 Misconceived 132 
			  Source: Disability and Carers' Service report: RAA/RDA 60205-60209

Disability Living Allowance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of disability living allowance in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance—cases in payment 
			   May  each year 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency 4,200 4,500 4,300 4,400 4,800 5,010 
			 South Tyneside Council 8,000 8,400 8,300 8,500 9,200 9,230 
			 North East Government Office Region 130,800 138,100 141,000 143,900 149,800 151,780 
			 Great Britain 1,941,900 2,054,600 2,121,900 2,193,100 2,306,400 2,424,350 
		
	
	
		
			   May each year  February 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency 5,100 5,180 5,270 5,360 5,470 
			 South Tyneside Council 9,440 9,580 9,730 9,900 10,160 
			 North East Government Office Region 155,630 157,130 158,760 159,910 163,170 
			 Great Britain 2,547,090 2,644,280 2,729,720 2,799,160 2,860,790 
			  Notes: 1. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 2. Figures for May 2002—February 2007 are taken from the DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 3. Figures for May 2002—February 2007 are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 4. Figures for May 1997—May 2001 are taken from the Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample. 5. Figures for May 1997—May 2001 are rated in line with WPLS totals and rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Disability Living Allowance

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many terminally ill people are receiving disability living allowance.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 11 October 2007
	At February 2007, around 50,200 terminally ill people were in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.

Incapacity Benefit

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of adults of working age were claiming incapacity benefits in  (a) each Welsh unitary authority,  (b) each English region,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland and  (e) Northern Ireland in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2005 and (iv) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: Information about Northern Ireland is a matter for my hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Percentage of working age population claiming incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance by Welsh local authority 
			   February  each year 
			  Local authority  1997  2001  2005  2007 
			 Isle of Anglesey 10.5 11.1 10.4 9.7 
			 Blaenau Gwent 21.3 19.6 19.0 17.4 
			 Bridgend 14.9 15.0 13.8 13.2 
			 Caerphilly 17.8 17.1 16.1 15.0 
			 Cardiff 9.3 9.7 8.8 8.6 
			 Carmarthenshire 14.9 15.2 13.7 12.8 
			 Ceredigion 8.2 9.3 8.5 8.1 
			 Conwy 9.7 11.0 10.5 10.1 
			 Denbighshire 11.9 11.6 11.0 10.5 
			 Flintshire 8.3 8.7 8.0 7.6 
			 Gwynedd 8.8 9.4 8.7 8.4 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 24.7 22.2 20.1 17.9 
			 Monmouthshire 6.9 7.6 7.3 7.0 
			 Neath Port Talbot 18.8 18.9 17.2 15.7 
			 Newport 10.5 11.2 10.4 9.9 
			 Pembrokeshire 11.1 11.4 10.6 10.0 
			 Powys 8.3 8.3 7.8 7.5 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 16.6 18.4 16.6 15.3 
			 Swansea 14.4 13.7 12.5 11.6 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 8.7 8.8 8.4 8.0 
			 Torfaen 14.6 13.9 12.7 12.0 
			 Wrexham 11.6 10.8 10.0 9.6 
			  Definitions and conventions: Percentages are shown to 1 decimal place.  Notes: 1. 5 per cent. figures for 1997 have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. totals. 2. Claimants include credits only cases. 3. Figures refer to working age claimants of IB/SDA. 4. Working age populations (females aged 16 to 59, males aged 16 to 64) for each local authority at the relevant year have been used to calculate percentages.  Sources: 1. Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample, 1997. 2. DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data 2001, 2005 and 2007. 3. Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates for 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2006. 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of working age population claiming incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance by region 
			   February  each year 
			  Government office region  1997  2001  2005  2007 
			 North East 11.6 12.1 11.2 10.4 
			 North West 11.0 10.9 10.2 9.6 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 7.9 8.2 8.0 7.4 
			 East Midlands 6.4 7.1 6.9 6.6 
			 West Midlands 7.2 7.7 7.6 7.3 
			 East of England 4.8 5.1 5.3 5.1 
			 London 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.2 
			 South East 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.7 
			 South West 5.6 6.2 6.3 6.3 
			 Wales 12.7 12.8 11.8 11.1 
			 Scotland 10.4 10.6 10.1 9.5 
			  Definitions and conventions: Percentages are shown to 1 decimal place.  Notes: 1. 5 per cent. figures for 1997 have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. totals. 2. Claimants include credits only cases. 3. Figures refer to working age claimants of IB/SDA. 4. Working age populations (females aged 16 to 59, males aged 16 to 64) for each region at the relevant year have been used to calculate percentages.  Sources: 1. Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample, 1997. 2. DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data 2001, 2005 and 2007. 3. Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates for 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2006.

Incapacity Benefit

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to simplify the applications process for incapacity benefits; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to reduce the length of time an applicant for incapacity benefits has to wait until they receive their benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The average time for clearing incapacity benefit claims nationally is 13.9 days against a Jobcentre Plus target of 18 days from receipt of a claim. The performance of Jobcentre Plus offices against this target is kept under review. Jobcentre Plus continues to look for improvements in the processing of claims and recent examples include the introduction of a rapid reclaim process for people who return to incapacity benefit and the implementation of a single 0800 number for customers to use when making a claim.
	The Government's Welfare Reform Act 2007 makes provision for a new benefit, the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), to replace the current incapacity benefits system for new and repeat claimants from autumn 2008. ESA aims to provide a modernised and simpler benefit which is designed to help people with health conditions and disabilities to focus on their aspirations to return to work and to provide support where an immediate return to work is not possible.

Incapacity Benefit

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of applications for incapacity benefits were successful in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Incapacity  b enefit  c laims volume s 
			  Thousand 
			   Awarded  Refused  Percentage of decisions that result in an award 
			 2002-03 222 329 40.3 
			 2003-04 271 414 39.6 
			 2004-05 260 347 42.9 
			 2005-06 241 305 44.1 
			 2006-07 230 330 41.1 
			  Notes: 1. Results have been provided by the Information Directorate (BIC). 2. Volume figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. 3. The volume figures represent the number of new claims awarded and refused in each financial year. 4. The total awarded and refused does not constitute the figure for claims received. 5. It is not possible to deduce proportions of the total claims received that are successful or unsuccessful as claims received in a given year may not necessarily get a decision in that same year. 6. The percentage awarded figures represent the proportion of awarded decisions of all decisions i.e. of the total of awarded and refused combined. These percentages represent the best view of the award success rate, but only reflect decisions that are recorded in the counts that can be extracted from MISP. 7. There is limited information available about how the counts are derived, and so there may be some claims excluded from these results, and some claims included twice e.g. if a claim is initially refused, goes to appeal and is then awarded, it could be counted in both the awarded and refused volumes.  Source:  DWP MISP System

Incapacity Benefit

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of  (a) the reasons for regional variations in incapacity payments and  (b) the impact of regional variation on claimants, with particular reference to variations between the Midlands and the North.

Anne McGuire: No assessment has been made of the reasons for regional variations in levels of incapacity payments.

UK Commission for Employment and Skills

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many places on the UK Commission for Employment and Skills will be guaranteed for commissioners from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

Caroline Flint: Commissioner recruitment is currently under way, working with officials across the four countries. It has been agreed that a place on the Commission will be guaranteed for a commissioner from each of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

TRANSPORT

Airports

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time was for a person arriving at  (a) Heathrow,  (b) Gatwick and  (c) Stansted to clear airport procedures in (i) the last year for which figures are available and (ii) each of the previous five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not held by this Department.

Aviation: Exhaust Emissions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the amount of emissions from each type of aircraft using UK airports; what plans she has (i) to incentivise and (ii) to penalise the worst offending operating companies; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Individual aircraft are internationally certified according to their noise level, emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and emissions of particulates during landing and take-off. The Department uses the noise data of individual aircraft in models that build up a map of the total noise at designated airports. These are then published.
	The project for the sustainable development of Heathrow is collating the total emissions inventory for different scenarios. The basic aircraft emissions data are derived from the publicly available certification data for each type of aircraft. We will be consulting on this shortly.
	The Civil Aviation Act 2006 provides powers for all airports to introduce charges that reflect the noise and NOx generated by each aircraft type. In addition to these charges penalties can be imposed for exceedences of noise levels specified in the noise control schemes.

Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of constructing the high speed rail link from Folkestone to St. Pancras.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The final construction cost has not been established as some contracts have still to be completed. However, the anticipated final outturn cost is currently £5.8 billion.

Crossrail Line: Contracts

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a decision will be taken on letting a construction contract for Crossrail.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Assuming that the Crossrail Bill gains Royal Assent in summer 2008, Cross-London Rail Links Ltd. expects to commence the procurement process in the first quarter of 2009 and let construction contracts in the first quarter of 2010.

Crossrail Line: Contracts

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps need to be completed before a construction contract can be let for work on Crossrail.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Crossrail Bill needs to be given Royal Assent; the Department for Transport and Transport for London need to conclude a suite of agreements on project funding and governance arrangements; the relevant property needs to be acquired; and Cross-London Rail Links Ltd needs to complete project design and contract development work, and issue invitations to tender and assess the resulting bids.

Crossrail Line: Contracts

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances the partners in the Crossrail project would not proceed with a construction contract.

Jim Fitzpatrick: My right hon. Friend is confident that the construction of Crossrail will proceed as planned and can foresee no likely obstacles to that. She will of course keep progress under review to ensure that the project offers best value for money in its construction and implementation.

Crossrail Line: Contracts

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the design work on Crossrail will be complete.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Design is a continuous process. Cross-London Rail Links Ltd. expects to complete design work for the purpose of tendering construction contracts by the first quarter of 2009.

Cycleways: Finance

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding the Government has provided to local authorities in  (a) England and  (b) Wirral South for the establishment or maintenance of cycle tracks in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Government funding for integrated transport improvements, including the establishment of cycle tracks, is provided in the annual local transport capital settlements, published on the Department for Transport website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/capital/. It is for local authorities to decide exactly how to spend this funding in accordance with their local policies and priorities.
	Government funding for routine highways maintenance, including the maintenance of cycle tracks, is included in the formula grant settlement administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Details of this are published at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0607/grant.htm
	In addition the Government are providing specific funding for national standard cycle training, including £250,000 in 2007-08 for the Merseyside local authorities.

Cycling: Finance

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what resources have been allocated under the Comprehensive Spending Review for the Cycle City scheme.

Rosie Winterton: The funding for cycling will be finalised in the context of the Department's Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 settlement announced on 9 October. We will publish a breakdown of the Department's spending plans in the Department's Annual Report.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hits the  (a) most and  (b) least popular website run by her Department has received since 1 January 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A variety of methods is used across the Department for Transport and Executive agency websites to gather such metrics for 'hits'. To determine which sites are the most and least popular based on 'hits' requires consideration of both unique visitor and actual visit figures to all sites. These data are not available for all sites and as such it is not possible to provide the information requested.

Departments: Secondment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Appointments on inward secondment to the central Department for Transport and its Agencies are outlined in the following table:
	
		
			  Organisation  Number of secondees  Duration of secondment 
			 First Group Plc 1 3 years 
			 French Transport Ministry 1 3 years 
			 RNIB 1 2 years 
			 QinetiQ 1 2 years 
			 Energy Saving Trust 1 4 months 
			 Deloitte 1 1 year 
			 Freshfields 1 6 months 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 1 1 year 
			 Swedish Transport Ministry 1 1 month 
			 Civil Aviation Authority 2 3 years 
			 KPMG 1 3 to 6 months 
			 Kent Fire Brigade 1 4 years 
			 Strathclyde Fire Brigade 1 3 years 
			 Dutch Department for Roads and Waterways 1 1 year

Driving Tests: Foreigners

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency makes available for people taking a driving test whose first language is not English.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driving Standards Agency offers assistance for non-English speaking candidates taking the theory and practical test.
	The theory test is offered in 20 languages in addition to English. The non-English learner uses headphones to listen to an interpretation of the on-screen instructions.
	On the practical element of the driving test, interpreters are allowed to accompany learners. Driving examiners are trained to identify any inappropriate assistance given by interpreters to a candidate.
	The interpreter is only allowed to repeat the examiner's instructions e.g. "take the next road on the right". Therefore, the translation is short and it would be obvious if more was being said as the instructions are very repetitive. The candidate is not allowed to speak directly to the interpreter during the test.
	Should an examiner suspect that the interpreter is interfering with the conduct of the test, he will ask the interpreter to only repeat what he has said. If the examiner feels that the interpreter has ignored the request he will terminate the test. This system works well and we have no evidence to suggest that it is being abused.

Lorries: Publications

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Truckstop Guide provided by the Highways Agency;
	(2)  when her Department last assessed the  (a) availability and  (b) range of services provided at truckstops in England.

Rosie Winterton: The Truckstop Guide was a trial publication produced by the Highways Agency during 2006. Research indicates that the guide has been effective in raising awareness of designated freight parking facilities and promoting driver safety and journey planning information to both UK and continental drivers. Options for its future development are currently being considered.
	Since 1992, it has been Government policy that the responsibility for identifying and acquiring appropriate motorway and trunk road service area sites lies with the private sector. The most recent assessment of truckstop availability and services was conducted early in 2007 as part of an update to the information originally gathered to inform the Truckstop Guide.

M40: Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why both carriageways of the M40 motorway were closed on 12 and 13 August when the incident being investigated by police occurred only on the southbound carriageway; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The M40 was closed on 12 and 13 August as a result of a major investigation by Warwickshire police into a fatal shooting that occurred on the southbound carriageway, between Junctions 12 and 13. The northbound carriageway was closed at the request of the police as their investigations proceeded. It is entirely for the police to decide the extent of closures required during such investigations.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Finance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding increases in real terms are proposed for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for each of the next five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The funding for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for the next three years will be finalised in the context of the Department for Transport's Comprehensive Spending Review 07 settlement announced on 9 October; no decisions on internal allocations have been made yet. We will publish a breakdown of the Department's spending plans in the Department's annual report.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Industrial Disputes

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the industrial action taking place affecting the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; what contingency arrangements are in place should the dispute escalate; and what steps she is taking to settle the dispute.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Industrial action short of a strike has been taking place within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) since the end of May this year. This action while regrettable, has not affected emergency response and search and rescue work.
	The MCA are meeting regularly with union representatives with a view to bringing the dispute to a conclusion as soon as possible. I have also met the unions and listened to their concerns on this issue.
	The MCA has detailed contingency plans in place to cover emergency situations should the dispute escalate.

Motorcycles

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorcyclists there were in the UK in each year from 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Data regarding the number of motorcyclists in the United Kingdom are not available.
	However, the numbers of licensed motorcycles, including scooters and mopeds, registered to keepers residing in Great Britain are available within table 1.1 of "Vehicle Licensing Statistics 2006". A copy of the report, published on 28 June 2007, was placed in the House of Commons Library and it is also available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/licensing/vehiclelicensingstatistics2006

Motorways: Road Traffic

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will issue advice to chief police officers advising them of the necessity of keeping motorways open to vehicular traffic whenever possible.

Rosie Winterton: The Highways Agency has signed a Strategic Agreement on Traffic Incident Management with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and formed a partnership group. This group will develop a detailed guidance framework on managing incidents on the Strategic Road Network with the aim of improving the time taken to investigate accidents and open lanes.
	The police and the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service work together to open motorway lanes as soon as possible after an incident and are often able to do so quickly. On those occasions where this are not possible, the situation is reviewed regularly and alternative options for managing and relieving congested traffic are considered.

Railways: Brent

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times trains were  (a) delayed,  (b) delayed by more than one hour and  (c) cancelled through mainline stations in Brent in 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not receive the information about delays to individual trains on specific days. Low-level data of this type are not required by the Department in order to fulfil its responsibilities.
	The day-to-day operation of train services, and associated record keeping, is the responsibility of train operators. Network Rail as the operator of the rail network also holds information on train operations.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation: Animal Products

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will meet representatives from the oleochemical and soap industries to discuss the impact of the proposed Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation on their use of tallow as a raw material.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I would be happy to do so on her behalf.

Road Signs and Markings

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on highway signage on local authority-controlled roads.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport prescribes those signs that may be erected on any road by means of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, the latest version of which was published in 2002.
	The Department has also published guidance on the correct use of traffic signs, including road markings, in the various chapters of the Traffic Signs Manual and in Local Transport Note 1/94 "The Design and Use of Directional Informatory Signs".
	The "Manual for Streets" published by the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government in March 2007 gives further advice on the appropriate and sensitive use of traffic signs for residential streets.

Road Traffic Offences: Foreigners

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to introduce the commencement order for section 9 and Schedule 2 of the Road Safety Act 2006 which makes penalty point endorsement available to non-GB counterpart holders, including those in Northern Ireland.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government plan to commence section 9 and schedule 2 of the Road Safety Act 2006, together with related sections, as soon in 2008 as is practicable.

Roads: Horses

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she is planning to place restrictions on horse riders when using roads; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: We do not have any plans to place a general restriction on horse riders on roads. This is a matter for local traffic authorities who are best-placed to consider what is appropriate in particular circumstances within the powers available to them.

Roads: Lewes

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Minister for the South East has to address the noise emanating from the Lewes by-pass; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Whenever a road needs to be resurfaced, for safety and maintenance reasons, quieter surfacing is used as a matter of course. In 2004, a 1 km stretch of the A27 Lewes bypass was repaired using low noise material.
	In financial year 2006-07, the Highways Agency completed a further technical survey for this location, which identified that only a short section of the bypass, lane 1 of both the eastbound approach and westbound exit from Southerham roundabout, requires resurfacing. The works are planned to be carried out in 2008-09 financial year, subject to funding.
	The Agency currently has no plans to erect noise barriers at this location as the site does not meet the necessary criteria.

Underground Railways: Security

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions each London Underground station has been closed because of security alerts in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by London Underground who can be contacted at the following address:
	Lucy Webster
	Head of Stakeholder Communications
	London Underground
	55 Broadway
	London
	SW1H 0BD
	lucy.webster@tube.tfl.gov.uk

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departments: Departmental Responsibilities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what functions of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office have been transferred to the Cabinet Office following the recent machinery of government changes.

Edward Miliband: None of the statutory functions that were vested in the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State have been transferred to the Cabinet Office. Chairmanship of Cabinet Committees and other duties were reallocated as part of the Prime Minister's appointments of his Government.

Government Departments: Equality

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to ensure that all Government departments fully comply with their equality duties.

Edward Miliband: Legislation under which the equality duties have been put in place makes each individual government department responsible for its own compliance with the equality duties. It is the responsibility of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) (and before 1 October 2007 the relevant equality commission—the Commission for Racial Equality, Equal Opportunities Commission or the Disability Rights Commission) to monitor compliance.
	All Government Departments have worked with the Commissions on compliance since the introduction of the equality duties, and before then regarding other equality legislation. They will continue this work with the new CEHR.
	Cross-department support has been provided to departments on the equality duties. This includes information events for departmental equality teams on the general equality duties and on specific aspects, such as equality impact assessments. Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions (the sponsoring body for the CEHR) will continue supporting departments in such steps to assist with them with compliance.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to her answer of 9 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1291W, on the Olympic Games: Greater London, how much the consultants employed by the Olympic Delivery Authority and her Department cost in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Tessa Jowell: holding  answer 16 July 2007
	In my previous answer to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent on 9 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1291W, I stated that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) had not employed consultancy firms to work on the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in the current financial year (2007-08) and that two consultancy firms were employed in 2006-07.
	However, it has since come to light that during 2006-07 a total of six consultancy firms were employed by DCMS on Olympic-related business. One of these firms continued to work on Olympic-related business in 2007-08 and a further four consultancy contracts had also, as of 9 July, been entered into during 2007-08.
	The total costs incurred for consultants employed in 2006-07 was £721,266.36 (including VAT) and for those commissioned as of 9 July 2007 was £202,314.33 (including VAT).
	Since my answer of 9 July, the Department has entered into five further Olympic-related consultancy contracts. Their costs are not included in the aforementioned figure.
	The cost of consultancy firms employed by the Olympic Delivery Authority in 2006-07 was £50,494,000 and in 2007-08 (as of 9 July) was £10,753,000. A significant percentage of these costs is attributed to five major contracts in 2006-07 (Atkins, EDAW Limited, Ernst and Young LLP, Ove Arup and Partners Limited, and Rockpools) and three major contracts in 2007-08 (Atkins, EDAW Limited, and Ove Arup and Partners Limited).
	These costs reflect the process of establishing the ODA, and building up organisational capacity, while ensuring key delivery milestones are achieved.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Accommodation Addresses: Crime

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation she has made of the potential abuse of accommodation address agencies by perpetrators of  (a) terrorism,  (b) serious organised crime,  (c) fraudulent passport applications,  (d) identity fraud and  (e) other criminal activities.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 8 October 2007
	The Home Office has made no such evaluation. I understand that colleagues at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform are discussing with a range of interested parties whether Government intervention is appropriate.

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to tackle underage sales and irresponsible promotion of alcohol.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 October 2007
	We have carried out two tackling underage sales of alcohol campaigns (the most recent of which included a 10 week operational phase which concluded on 13 July) through which police and trading standards officers have targeted 2,683 potential problem premises that break the law by selling alcohol to under-18s. Prior to this, we carried out four national alcohol misuse enforcement campaigns (AMECs) between 2004 and 2006.
	In 2004, the overall test purchase failure rate was 50 per cent. In 2006, it had dropped to 20 per cent. In this latest and more targeted campaign it now stands at 15 per cent overall.
	Nearly 9,000 test purchase operations were carried out on 2,683 premises in the recent national tackling underage sales enforcement campaign. Children were only able to obtain alcohol in 14.7 per cent of cases. Only 22 actual premises (0.8 per cent of premises targeted) sold alcohol to children on three separate occasions. These figures again signal further improvements in the reduction of the test purchase failures since the national enforcement campaigns began three years ago, Through 'Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy', the Government are committed to carrying out an independent review of the relationship between alcohol price, promotion and harm, and following public consultation, will consider the need for regulatory change in the future, if necessary. This review is being led by the Department of Health and has gone out to tender. We anticipate publishing the review's findings in the summer of 2008. In addition, the Government are also committed to carrying out a review and consultation on the effectiveness of the alcohol industry's Social Responsibility Standards document in contributing to a reduction in alcohol harm, and following public consultation, will consider the need for regulatory change in the future, if necessary. We anticipate launching the public consultation in November 2008.

Alcoholic Drinks: Public Places

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether  (a) consent and  (b) permission of (i) the police, (ii) central Government and (iii) regional government offices is needed for a local authority to introduce a public drinking ban in an area in their locality;
	(2)  what guidance has been given to local authorities on introducing public drinking bans.

Vernon Coaker: The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 gave local authorities the power to designate public areas through the introduction of a Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) restricting antisocial public drinking in areas where alcohol related disorder or nuisance has been experienced.
	DPPOs are sometimes mistakenly referred to as 'public drinking bans'.
	Once in place a DPPO provides the police with the power to enforce the restriction, where necessary because of the antisocial alcohol misuse, by confiscating both opened and sealed containers. It is an offence to drink alcohol in a designated public place after being required by a police officer not to do so.
	The Local Authorities (Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places) Regulations 2001 require a local authority to consult with the police, parish or community council and licensees of any premises which may be affected before making the order. The local authority must also take reasonable steps to consult the owners or occupiers of any land within the proposed DPPO area. The local authority is required to consider the representations that it receives after consultation with the bodies listed above.
	The local authority must also publish the details of the proposed DPPO in a newspaper and invite representations as to whether or not an order should be made.
	Local authorities have been provided with the Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Place Regulations 2001 and 2007; Explanatory Memorandum to the Local Authorities (Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places) Regulations 2007 and a Home Office Circular (13/2007) to chief executives of local authorities and chief constables in England and Wales on the Local Authorities (Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places) Regulations 2007.
	This information along with links to Frequently Asked Questions and examples of best practice can be found on the following website:
	www.crimereduction.gov.uk/alcoholorders/alcoholorders01.htm

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the  (a) treatment and  (b) proposed experiments on Felix the macaque monkey by compliance of the Oxford university with the project licence granted in respect of the primate; if she will suspend this licence pending investigation of the matter; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The university has advised that Felix was humanely killed in early June 2007 on completion of the work in which he was involved and in accordance with the requirements of the relevant project licence. I am satisfied that the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been fully met, and I do not consider there is a need to vary or suspend the licence.

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what method of record keeping she requires establishments with a certificate of designation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to use; and what guidelines her Department has issued on consistency of such record keeping.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 15 October 2007
	Record keeping requirements for designated establishments are set out in paragraphs 4.27 to 4.33 and Appendices B and C of the published Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (HC321). A number of formats have evolved that satisfy these requirements and meet local needs. The records must be made available to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate on request. Failure to maintain records in a format that is acceptable to the Secretary of State is in breach of the terms and conditions of authorities issued under the 1986 Act.

Drugs: Serious and Organised Crime Agency

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many intelligence referrals on drug trafficking were  (a) investigated and  (b) brought to court (i) in each of the three years before the establishment of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and (ii) by SOCA since its establishment.

Vernon Coaker: SOCA and its predecessors receive intelligence from numerous sources and in a variety of forms. This is assessed, analysed and acted upon in different ways depending on the content. It is not therefore possible to quantify "intelligence referrals" as a unit of measurement.
	The report, Drug Offenders in England and Wales (23/05), shows that in 2004 (the latest year for which data exist) 4,500 individuals were dealt with for the unlawful supply of all drugs. Of these, 3,350 were for Class A drugs. These include both cases dealt with by SOCA's predecessor organisations and the police forces of England and Wales.
	In its first year (2006-07) SOCA casework in the UK led to the arrest of 601 individuals for drug-related offences. In the SOCA cases that reached the courts in 2006-07, convictions were secured against 211 individuals for drug-related offences. Additionally, at least 490 individuals were arrested in 2006-07 for Class A drugs-related offences as a result of SOCA's international casework. These figures relate only to SOCA casework. They do not include arrests and convictions in 2006-07 that have resulted from police or HMRC casework.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the merits of proscribing Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

Tony McNulty: The case for the proscription of Hizb-ut-Tahrir is kept under close review.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter of 3 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr. Butt.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 8 October 2007.

Northamptonshire Police: Manpower

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the manpower levels are of the Northamptonshire Police Force; and what she estimates they will be after the conclusion of the ongoing review of the force.

Tony McNulty: At 31 March 1997 Northamptonshire Police had 1,301 police officers, 1,009 police staff and 129 PCSOs. Staffing levels are an operational matter for local agreement between the chief constable and the police authority.

Offensive Weapons: Young People

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many minors were arrested in possession of  (a) a gun and  (b) a knife in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: The arrests collection undertaken by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform provides data only on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary etc. More detailed data about specific offences or circumstances behind arrests do not form part of this collection.

Police: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to meet representatives of Cambridgeshire Police Authority to discuss funding of Cambridgeshire police in the next six months; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary wrote to the chairman of Cambridgeshire Police Authority on 8 October indicating that she would be happy to visit Cambridgeshire Constabulary when an opportunity arises.

Police: Immigration

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from  (a) Cambridgeshire Constabulary,  (b) Cambridgeshire police authority,  (c) Lincolnshire Constabulary,  (d) Lincolnshire police authority and  (e) right hon. Members on the effects of immigration into the region on police budgets and manpower; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 October 2007
	 : The Home Office received a written representation from the Chief Officer of Cambridgeshire Constabulary commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Constabulary and police authority on the effects of migration in their force area. The authority has also written separately on this issue.
	No representations have been received from Lincolnshire.
	The hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) tabled a question about the effects of immigration on 7 February 2007,  Official Report, column 975W, but no other representations have been received from hon. Members.

Police: Road Traffic Control

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it Government policy to ensure that an increased proportion of police officers is deployed on road traffic enforcement duties.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The allocation and deployment of resources are operational matters for individual chief officers of police. It is right that day to day decisions should be taken at the local level in the light of changing situations and circumstances and public concerns at different times and in different places.
	We have made clear on numerous occasions our view of the importance of roads policing, including by references in National Policing Plans and the National Community Safety Plan. In January 2005, the Home Office, Department for Transport and ACPO issued a jointly agreed national Roads Policing Strategy to set roads policing in the context of over-all police work, establish continuing priorities and identify under- pinning principles for operational practice and the development of policy. Ministers wrote earlier this year to all chief officers stressing the importance of roads policing and of treating offences on the roads as seriously as other offences.
	We do not believe it helpful to focus exclusively on numbers. More effective roads policing is in general delivered chiefly by better use of intelligence, more targeting and more efficient use of resources. The Government have, moreover, increased the number of police over-all by more than 14, 000. This means more officers available for all aspects of police work, including roads policing. All police officers can enforce road traffic legislation as appropriate, whether or not they are dedicated to roads policing.

Separation: Indian Subcontinent

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of women from the Indian sub-continent left destitute and on the street after failed marriages; and what steps she is taking to afford those women shelter and support.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The Home Office does not routinely collate this information and people are expected to return home if they have a spouse visa and their marriage fails during the probationary period as the reason for entry no longer exists. However, if the marriage fails due to domestic violence, an individual can apply for indefinite leave to remain under the Immigration Rules as a victim of such abuse. Steps have been taken to improve the timeliness and effectiveness of application processing and evidence-gathering in these cases.
	We are aware that there are a small number of women who are victims of domestic violence during the probationary period following marriage and can find themselves homeless and unable to access refuge or other emergency accommodation while the application for indefinite leave to remain is being processed.
	The Government have asked local authorities to be mindful that some victims of domestic violence could have specific needs for care and attention and/or have dependent children. These factors may make them eligible for assistance under a range of other relevant legislation on a case-by-case basis.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Taunton of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 977W, on stop and search, what the  (a) gender,  (b) ethnicity and  (c) age was of each person stopped under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 11 October 2007
	Data on individuals stopped and searched under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 are not collected by gender or age. However information on the breakdown by ethnicity of persons stopped under Section 44 is provided in the following table.
	Statistics are published by the Home Office under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, and can be found on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pubsstatistical.html
	
		
			  Searches of vehicles( 1)  and occupants, and pedestrians under Section 44 (1) and (2) of the Terrorism Act 2000( 2) , England and Wales 2001-02 to 2004-05 
			   Ethnicity  
			   White  Black  Asian  Other  Not recorded  Total 
			 2001-02 6,629 529 744 358 260 8,520 
			 2002-03 14,429 1,745 2,989 1,259 1,155 21,577 
			 2003-04 20,600 2,701 3,659 1,324 1,099 29,383 
			 2004-05 23,389 2,511 3,485 1,480 1,197 32,062 
			 (1) Searches may be conducted on vehicles only, occupants only or both may be searched. Where a vehicle and driver occupier are searched simultaneously the search is recorded against the driver (occupant). Any other passengers searched are recorded as occupants. These figures exclude searches of vehicles only.  (2) The Terrorism Act 2000 came into force on 19 February 2001.   Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Vetting

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Criminal Record Bureau checks were carried out in each year from 2000 to 2006.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has issued 12.2 million Disclosures since its launch in March 2002 to 31 March 2007. The following table illustrates the breakdown, in each financial year:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of Disclosures issued 
			 2002-03 1,441,704 
			 2003-04 2,287,109 
			 2004-05 2,434,290 
			 2005-06 2,772,929 
			 2006-07 3,283,356 
			 Total 12,219,388

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

China: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the government of China on the one child policy; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: DFID has not had any recent discussions with the Chinese Government specifically focused on the one child policy. However, DFID works closely with China on reproductive health and rights more generally, especially in the context of our support for HIV and AIDS prevention and for health policy. In these contexts the Chinese Government are regularly made aware of our strong endorsement of the principles of the International Conference on Population and Development. Although the one child policy remains in place, China has made good progress in ensuring reproductive health rights more generally, especially through its implementation of the 2002 Law of Population and Family Planning. The law spells out rights and responsibilities for clients, service providers and family planning officials. Most provinces have now enacted their own regulations in accordance with the national law.

China: United Nations Population Fund

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the United Nations Population Fund in promoting non-coercive approaches to family planning in China since July; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: DFID has not made any specific assessment of UNFPA effectiveness in China since July. However, DFID works closely with UNFPA on reproductive health issues in China, especially in relation to HIV and AIDS prevention, the reduction of maternal mortality and the promotion of gender equity in China's health system. UNFPA programmes in China seek to influence China towards the full acceptance of the principles of the International Conference on Population and Development. The focus of UNFPA support is on improving the quality of care and increasing equity of access to reproductive health services.

Debts

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to identify and cancel outstanding international illegitimate debts.

Shahid Malik: The poorest countries are eligible for 100 per cent. debt cancellation on their bilateral debts under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, as well as 100 per cent. debt cancellation on their debts to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and African Development Bank under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The UK is at the forefront of debt cancellation for poor countries and international poverty reduction. We exceed our commitments under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiatives (MDRI), providing the poorest countries with 100 per cent. cancellation on their bilateral and multilateral debts. The HIPS and MDRI systems have cancelled billions of pounds worth of debt and we continue to believe that they are the most appropriate way to tackle sovereign debt problems. Unpayable debts should not hinder the poorest countries from making progress towards the millennium development goals.
	All of our loans are made to internationally recognised governments, are bound by legal contracts and are recognised in international law, we do not therefore consider them to be "illegitimate". We believe that debt relief should be provided on the basis of a country's economic situation rather than their history of poor or corrupt governance. Many countries that have a history of poor governance are now middle-income countries. If we cancelled so-called "illegitimate" debts for such countries, the full cost would have to be met from DFID's aid budget, diverting vital resources away from poorer countries. It is also likely that creditors and investors would take a negative view of the credit worthiness of developing countries in case the loans were later repudiated. This would be damaging for developing countries trying to strengthen their economies and reduce poverty through access to international investment and financing.

Departments: General Elections

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contingency preparations his Department made for the possibility of a general election in autumn 2007; and what the costs of those preparations were.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 822-23W.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years.

Shahid Malik: In its May 2007 departmental website review, DFID identified 48 sites that had received departmental funding. Figures are not available for 1 January 2005. Three of these sites have subsequently closed as part of our ongoing efforts to rationalise the number of websites we support. Details of the costs of the four main DFID-funded sites are given in the table. Compiling cost information for other departmental websites could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Website   Annual cost of running the site (£) 
			 DFID main site—www.dfid.gov.uk(1) 2007 101,312 
			  2006 99,708 
			  2005 94,848 
			  2004 95,139 
			  2003 93,703 
			
			 Developments Magazine— www.developments.org.uk 2007 7,862 
			  2006 11,846 
			  2005 10,552 
			  2004 8,813 
			  2003 8,460 
			
			 Research for Development portal— www.research4development.info(2) 2007 43,686 
			  2006 14,446 
			
			 AIDSPortal—www.aidsportal.org(3) 2007 27,500 
			 (1) Figures include staffing costs.  (2) Site launched in 2006. Figures exclude development costs.  (3) Previous years' costs were development costs.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many hits the  (a) most popular and  (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1 January 2007.

Shahid Malik: In its May 2007 departmental website review, DFID identified 48 sites that had received departmental funding. Compiling visitor information for all these sites could be done only at disproportionate cost. Visitor figures for the main DFID site (www.dfid.gov.uk) for the period 1 January to 31 August 2007 are as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Page views 3,968,908 
			 Unique users 315,392 
			 User sessions 1,181,043

Foreign Workers: Clothing

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations have been made to his Department regarding the wages paid to the workers of UK high street fashion suppliers based in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not received any specific representation on the issue of wages paid to workers of UK high street fashion suppliers based in developing countries in the last six months. However we are engaged on these issues through a number of organisations and initiatives.
	These include the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), which DFID helped set up, and funds. We have provided over £2 million to support the ETI, which is an alliance of companies, trades unions and non-governmental organisations committed to improving working conditions in global supply chains. A recent independent assessment of the ETI showed improvements in health and safety, working hours, wages and child labour in the supply chains of companies taking part. DFID also works at the country level, on labour rights and terms and conditions. For instance, in Bangladesh and Lesotho DFID has supported the work of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement Forum, which supports responsible business practices while improving productivity and competitiveness. DFID is also providing up to £20 million in support to the International Labour Organisation to implement decent work country programmes.

Foreign Workers: Clothing

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with UK high street fashion stores on  (a) the wages paid to the workers of their suppliers in developing countries and  (b) ensuring good working conditions and rights for such workers; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID helped set up—and funds—the Ethical Trading Initiative. We have provided over £2 million to support the ETI, which is an alliance of companies, trades unions and non-governmental organisations committed to improving working conditions in global supply chains. A recent independent assessment of the ETI showed improvements in health and safety, working hours, wages and child labour in the supply chains of companies taking part. DFID also works at the country level, on labour rights and terms and conditions.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Audio Equipment: Health Hazards

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2007,  Official Report, column 764W, on audio equipment: health hazards, what the evidential basis was for his statement that it is already widely understood that playing personal audio equipment too loud can damage people's hearing.

Gareth Thomas: Research conducted in 2005 by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) showed that 42 per cent. of people between the ages of 18 to 24 years who played their personal music players for at least an hour every day believed that they had the volume too high. There are no published figures to indicate the percentage of people in the sample who were both aware of the risks and believed they used safe volume levels.
	The RNID has been running the 'Don't Lose the Music' campaign to further raise awareness of the dangers of playing personal audio equipment too loud.

Consumers: Protection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect of the Supply of Extended Warranties on Domestic Electrical Goods Order 2005 on consumer protection.

Gareth Thomas: Responsibility for the Supply of Extended Warranties on Domestic Electrical Goods Order 2005 rests with the Office of Fair Trading. The OFT monitors and enforces this order to ensure as far as possible that it is complied with. In addition, the OFT is commissioning a project to examine the impact that the Supply of Extended Warranties on Domestic Electrical Goods Order 2005 has had on the extended warranties market. The OFT will publish the findings from this project in summer 2008.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the likely change in  (a) export sales and  (b) research and development spending as a result of moving the Defence Export Services Organisation from the Ministry of Defence to UK Trade and Investment.

Gareth Thomas: It is not Government practice to make estimates of future levels of defence exports. This Machinery of Government change is not expected to affect the amount spent by Government on research and development.

Departmental Responsibilities

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what date the Transfer of Function Order detailing the changes in his Department was laid before Parliament for approval.

Gareth Thomas: It is anticipated that the Transfer of Functions Order will go before the November Privy Council meeting and should therefore come into force on 13 December.

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance his Department follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: All correspondence from hon. Members and Peers is handled in accordance with the principles set out in 'Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments'. The same principles apply when handling correspondence from members of the public.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members 'Peers' correspondence. The report for 2006 was published on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 101-04WS.

Departments: Publicity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media.

Gareth Thomas: Currently, projected spending through the Central Office of Information on these advertising media is estimated as follows:
	 (a) 2007-08 financial year
	Nuclear Energy Consultation (July to September 2007) press advertising: £166,634
	National Minimum Wage campaign (October 2007 to March 2008), as part of which we currently anticipate spending approximately £400,000 on radio advertising and £200,000 on poster advertising.
	 (b) No advertising or promotional campaigns have yet been planned through COI for 2008-09.
	Figures are exclusive of VAT.

Electricity Generation

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the amount of electricity that could be generated through the capture and use of gas produced from landfill; and what proportion of the UK's total electricity supply this would represent.

Malcolm Wicks: This Department does not estimate the amount of electricity that will be available from individual renewable energy technologies. The renewables obligation is designed to bring forward the most cost effective means of generating electricity from such sources. However, in modelling likely future scenarios, there are conditions where future generation from landfill gas could be 10 per cent. higher than the 4.4 TWh achieved in 2006. Under the RO generation from landfill gas in the UK has increased by 65 per cent. over the last four years and in 2006 represented 24 per cent. of all generation from renewables in the UK or 1.1 per cent of total UK electricity generation.

Electronic Commerce: Fraud

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money lost to online identity theft and fraud in the UK in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of cases of online identity theft in the UK in each year since 1997.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 11 October 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The published estimates for the cost of identity theft to the UK economy do not include a specific breakdown of thefts committed online. In addition the Government do not have information on the number of cases on online identity theft recorded centrally.
	To help people protect themselves from online fraud, the website www.getsafeonline.org was developed by the Government, police and industry. The website gives advice on how to stay safe online when shopping, banking or doing business over the internet, and how to protect computers and the personal information they contain.
	On 9 October 2007 the Attorney General announced that funding had been approved for the proposals arising from the Government's Fraud Review. This includes the development of a National Fraud Strategic Authority, together with a National Fraud Reporting Centre, the establishment of the City of London Police as the Lead Force on fraud, and proposals for measurement of fraud. These measures will help to tackle fraud and increase our understanding of the nature and extent of the problem.

Energy Supply

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to assist those households living in fuel poverty that are not connected to the mains gas network;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to assist households off the mains gas network to take full advantage of a competitive energy market;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to assist households and communities not connected to the mains gas network;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the energy needs of households not connected to gas mains.

Malcolm Wicks: We recognise, and are addressing, the need to help fuel poor households both off and on the gas network. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for gas regulation, including transportation and distribution. As part of the post-2008 Gas Distribution Price Control, Ofgem is currently consulting on measures that would encourage gas distribution network companies to provide connections to deprived communities currently off the gas network. Such communities are likely to contain a higher than average proportion of fuel poor households.
	The Design and Demonstration Unit within my Department has successfully developed a model for the provision of gas connections to deprived communities by independent gas transporters. A number of connections have been made using this model. The unit has also developed models to provide lower-cost household energy from renewable and other new technologies for those deprived communities where gas connections are not economically viable. We expect demonstration projects in North-East England and Yorkshire and Humberside that use these models to begin shortly. Assistance for fuel poor and vulnerable households within such communities is also available under other Government programmes, including DEFRA's Warm Front programme.
	Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Ministers frequently discuss the energy needs of vulnerable households both off and on the gas network with Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Energy: Billing

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of Ofgem's conclusion in its factsheet number 67, Prepayment Meters and Fuel Poverty, that a premium of £106 per year for pre-payment meter customers is more desirable than a premium of £14 for all energy customers.

Malcolm Wicks: Government believe that independently regulated competitive markets are the most cost-effective and efficient way to deliver our energy policy goals. It is for energy suppliers to determine their pricing structure, taking into account the different cost to serve for different customers.
	Prepayment meter rates are often higher because of the higher costs of the meters and the payment infrastructure that supports them. Some companies have equalised their prepayment and standard credit tariffs, but others have not. It is true that the differences between the rates paid by direct debit customers and those paid by others (both standard credit and prepayment meter customers) have widened. I am concerned about these increases, and am working with Ofgem to consider ways to encourage further protection of the most vulnerable consumers from the large differences in bills because of the payment method they use and to spread best practice across suppliers.

Hearing Aid Council

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by what date he expects the registration of private sector audiologists to transfer from the Hearing Aid Council to the Health Professions Council.

Gareth Thomas: My officials continue to work towards the deadline of April 2009, which the Government committed to in response to the Hampton Report.
	We intend to repeal the Hearing Aid Council Act 1968 as part of the transfer process and officials are considering whether the new Legislative Reform Orders (LROs) are sufficient for this purpose. If it is determined that wholesale repeal of the Act is beyond the scope of LRO then we will pursue the matter using primary legislation, which would of course be subject to pressure on the parliamentary timetable.

Hearing Aid Council

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what arrangements will be made for consumer protection for people purchasing private hearing aids following the abolition of the Hearing Aid Council.

Gareth Thomas: My officials have worked with the Hearing Aid Council (HAC) executive to ensure that repealing the Hearing Aid Council Act 1968 and regulating private audiology under the Health Professions Council (HPC) will not reduce consumer protection.
	This exercise has concluded that typical issues raised by complainants to the HAC would be covered adequately by existing and upcoming consumer protection legislation. Indeed, consumer protection is likely to be increased upon transposition of the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive next year.
	For instance, sales visits in the home, high pressure sales practices, misleading advice or sales information would be covered by the doorstep selling regulations and the forthcoming Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, which implement the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.
	The new regulations will strengthen consumer protection by introducing a general prohibition on unfair commercial (mainly marketing and selling) practices. The regulations, which will come into force in April 2008, are intended to ensure that consumers have the information necessary to make free and informed choices, and are not treated aggressively, including by means of high pressure selling techniques. They include rules prohibiting conduct which misleads the average consumer by what is said or omitted to be said, and thereby causes or is likely to cause him to take a decision he would not have taken otherwise. The regulations also prohibit aggressive practice which impairs the average consumer's freedom of choice with regard to the product and thereby causes, or is likely to cause him to take a different decision.
	My officials believe that these measures will be more than sufficient to protect consumers from dubious practices following the abolition of the Hearing Aid Council.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will list his Department's and its predecessors'  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations in each financial year since 2005-06.

Gareth Thomas: All the information requested is set out in section 3.3.of the Department's annual report and accounts for 2006-07 (pages 125 to 130). This includes all the changes from 2005-06. The report can be accessed on the BERR website at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file40578.pdf and in the House of Commons Library.
	Changes since the 2006-07 annual report are as follows:
	The creation of the Technology Strategy Board (on 1 July 2007), an executive NDPB.
	On 28 June 2007, with the creation of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and of the Department for Innovation, Universities, and Skills, the transfer of the following bodies was announced:
	Local Better Regulation Office (an NDPB, and a company limited by guarantee) and the Better Regulatory Commission, (and advisory NDPB) to transfer from Cabinet Office to BERR.
	From DTI to DIUS:
	 Executive Agencies
	National Weights and Measures Laboratory
	UK Intellectual Property Office.
	 Executive NDPBs
	British Hallmarking Council
	Design Council
	Arts and Humanities Research Council
	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
	Council for Central Laboratory Research Council (CCLRC) and Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC): merged into the Science and Technology Facilities Council on 1 April 2007.
	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
	Economic and Social Research Council
	Natural Environment Research Council
	Medical Research Council
	Technology Strategy Board.
	 Advisory NDPBs
	Council for Science and Technology.
	 Tribunal
	Copyright Tribunal
	Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal.

Oil: Exploration

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to make an announcement on the 24th round of oil and gas licensing in Cardigan Bay and the Moray Firth.

Malcolm Wicks: My officials are carrying out an appropriate assessment of the potential impacts of licensing in Cardigan Bay. When that assessment has been concluded I will be in a position to take a decision on whether or not to license the blocks. I have no firm date for the conclusion of the appropriate assessment.

Regional Development Agencies

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budgets were for each regional development agency in each year of their operation.

Stephen Timms: The RDAs' spend in the period 1999-2000 to 2006-07 and their budgets for 2007-08 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Outturn  Budget 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Advantage West Midlands 103,423 112,674 140,678 204,133 239,854 217,281 309,819 281,388 295,625 
			 East of England 29,818 36,140 54,520 88,496 80,156 84,140 139,266 139,578 138,974 
			 East Midlands 41,117 67,197 86,070 100,706 116,795 118,774 168,447 160,813 178,018 
			 London 0 235,490 265,815 294,827 317,279 327,642 370,588 415,625 374,297 
			 North West 141,367 155,750 269,688 274,032 309,092 366,720 402,490 401,950 402,678 
			 One North East 92,280 97,736 158,181 192,860 223,000 226,528 253,925 273,296 280,868 
			 South East 63,473 73,235 97,322 111,911 135,706 110,225 165,374 171,858 165,978 
			 South West 43,028 61,736 84,780 102,856 99,052 113,368 167,637 170,536 161,308 
			 Yorkshire Forward 121,298 124,950 207,491 211,453 244,249 287,966 309,714 312,684 308,741 
			   
			 Total 635,804 964,908 1,364,545 1,581,274 1,765,183 1,852,644 2,287,260 2,327,728 2,306,487

Seals: Animal Products

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2259W, on seals: animal products, what assessment he made of the action by other EU states before providing his reply.

Gareth Thomas: The Government take note of the actions of other member states on this issue. The UK position remains that it is seeking an EU-wide ban on the import of harp and hooded sealskins and sealskin products.

Severn Barrage

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether a feasibility study of a proposed Severn Barrage will include a cost benefit analysis of similar levels of public investment in energy efficiency and other renewable options.

Malcolm Wicks: The feasibility study, for which the detailed remit and budget are now being scoped, will consider all key aspects of a tidal barrage in the Severn estuary, including environmental, social and economic issues.
	A barrage is a unique proposal and the study will look at the opportunity cost of taking it forward as compared to other investment to reduce CO2 emissions from energy.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Opium

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government supports recent US proposals to increase the spraying of opium fields in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Counter narcotics policy and implementation, including opium poppy elimination, is the responsibility of the Afghan Government. We work very closely with the US to support the Afghan Government on implementing their National Drug Control Strategy. The Afghan Government oppose the use of aerial and ground based spraying to eradicate opium poppy.
	The US Government advocate spraying as one method of implementing non-negotiated forced eradication. But in their counter narcotics strategy for Afghanistan, published in August, they recognise that
	"no herbicidal spray program would be implemented without the consent of the Government of Afghanistan".
	The UK continues to support the piloting of ground-based spraying, subject to the agreement of the Afghan Government, to test its efficacy and impact. It should be well explained to local populations and targeted in areas of Afghanistan where the security situation permits and there is good access to legal livelihoods for farmers. At present, we judge that the disadvantages of aerial spraying outweigh the benefits. We have made our position clear to both the Afghan Government and the US.

Burma: Arms Control

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made at the United Nations for a comprehensive and mandatory arms embargo on Burma.

Kim Howells: The UN Security Council is fully focussed on the events in Burma. UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari has briefed the Security Council on the situation in the country and the UK supports his efforts to mediate a dialogue between the political actors.
	An EU arms embargo is already in place. We judge that at present there is insufficient support on the Security Council for a UN-wide ban.

Chechnya: Politics and Government

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of support for rebel groups in Chechnya from UK  (a) assets,  (b) groups and  (c) individuals; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We regularly monitor the activities of Chechen separatist groups and any possible involvement of parties based in the UK, and any implications, which this might have for the UK.

Chevening Scholarships Programme

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening scholarships were granted in each of the last three years, broken down by country of origin of recipient.

Jim Murphy: Holding answer 15 October 2007
	 Details for the two academic years 2004-05 and 2005-06 are given in the Chevening Programme annual report for each year. The reports are available at: http://www.chevening.com/about/reports/. They will also be placed in the Library of the House. The annual report for 2006-07 is not yet available and so the details for that academic year are provided in the following table. The report will also be placed in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Country  Core scheme  Central jointly funded  Fellows  Total 
			 Afghanistan 8 2 0 10 
			 Albania 7 2 2 11 
			 Algeria 4 0 2 6 
			 Angola 2 0 2 4 
			 Anguilla 1 0 0 1 
			 Antigua 1 1 0 2 
			 Argentina 17 6 0 23 
			 Armenia 5 2 4 11 
			 Australia 7 5 0 12 
			 Azerbaijan 5 3 6 14 
			 Bahamas 1 0 0 1 
			 Bahrain 8 0 2 10 
			 Bangladesh 11 1 5 17 
			 Barbados 1 1 1 3 
			 Belarus 3 8 0 11 
			 Belize 2 0 0 2 
			 Bolivia 2 4 0 6 
			 Bosnia 10 2 0 12 
			 Botswana 3 2 0 5 
			 Brazil 33 8 1 42 
			 British Virgin Islands 0 0 2 2 
			 Brunei 3 0 0 3 
			 Bulgaria 7 13 2 22 
			 Burma 0 1 4 5 
			 Cambodia 2 0 8 10 
			 Cameroon 4 4 6 14 
			 Canada 9 0 2 11 
			 Cayman Islands 0 0 0 0 
			 Chile 8 2 0 10 
			 China 146 17 15 178 
			 Colombia 10 1 4 15 
			 Costa Rica 2 0 0 2 
			 Cote D'Ivoire 0 0 0 0 
			 Croatia 9 22 1 32 
			 Cuba 2 0 0 2 
			 Cyprus 6 0 0 6 
			 Czech Republic 5 2 1 8 
			 Democratic Republic Of Congo 2 0 0 2 
			 Dominica 0 0 0 0 
			 Dominican Rep (and Haiti) 3 0 0 3 
			 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 0 0 0 0 
			 East Jerusalem 10 10 2 22 
			 East Timor 1 0 0 1 
			 Ecuador 1 0 5 6 
			 Egypt 29 1 9 39 
			 El Salvador 1 0 0 1 
			 Eritrea 0 0 0 0 
			 Estonia 3 0 2 5 
			 Ethiopia 10 0 6 16 
			 Fiji 1 1 0 2 
			 Gambia 1 0 0 1 
			 Georgia 9 9 2 20 
			 Ghana 15 5 1 21 
			 Guatemala 1 0 2 3 
			 Guyana 1 2 0 3 
			 Honduras 1 0 0 1 
			 Hong Kong 21 2 0 23 
			 Hungary 5 0 3 8 
			 Iceland 7 0 0 7 
			 India 68 9 2 79 
			 Indonesia 33 8 4 45 
			 Iran 11 3 5 19 
			 Iraq 22 0 0 22 
			 Israel 15 1 0 16 
			 Jamaica 5 3 0 8 
			 Japan 7 1 1 9 
			 Jordan 10 5 1 16 
			 Kazakhstan 4 2 3 9 
			 Kenya 9 3 10 22 
			 Kiribati 0 0 0 0 
			 Korea 33 0 2 35 
			 Kosovo 8 9 0 17 
			 Kuwait 2 0 0 2 
			 Kyrgyzstan 2 8 0 10 
			 Laos 0 0 0 0 
			 Latvia 3 0 1 4 
			 Lebanon 6 1 0 7 
			 Lesotho 1 5 0 6 
			 Libya 7 0 0 7 
			 Lithuania 2 0 0 2 
			 Luxembourg 0 0 0 0 
			 Macedonia 8 10 0 18 
			 Madagascar 0 0 0 0 
			 Malawi 3 10 0 13 
			 Malaysia 27 2 5 34 
			 Maldives 2 0 0 2 
			 Mali 2 0 0 2 
			 Malta 9 0 0 9 
			 Mauritius 2 0 0 2 
			 Mexico 43 1 8 52 
			 Moldova 4 3 0 7 
			 Mongolia 0 4 0 4 
			 Montserrat 2 0 0 2 
			 Morocco 7 0 0 7 
			 Mozambique 3 0 0 3 
			 Namibia 3 0 0 3 
			 Nepal 3 1 6 10 
			 New Zealand 2 2 0 4 
			 Nicaragua 2 0 0 2 
			 Niger 0 0 0 0 
			 Nigeria 30 9 8 47 
			 Oman 9 0 3 12 
			 Pakistan 30 11 8 49 
			 Panama 2 0 0 2 
			 Papua New Guinea 2 0 0 2 
			 Paraguay 2 0 0 2 
			 Peru 1 2 0 3 
			 Philippines 6 2 9 17 
			 Poland 17 3 1 21 
			 Qatar 3 0 0 3 
			 Romania 11 16 0 27 
			 Russia 37 11 2 50 
			 Rwanda 3 0 0 3 
			 Saudi Arabia 5 0 0 5 
			 Senegal 3 0 0 3 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 7 10 2 19 
			 Seychelles 1 0 0 1 
			 Sierra Leone 1 1 0 2 
			 Singapore 5 0 1 6 
			 Slovakia 4 0 2 6 
			 Slovenia 7 0 1 8 
			 Solomon Islands 0 0 0 0 
			 South Africa 21 11 1 33 
			 Sri Lanka 2 0 0 2 
			 St. Kitts and Nevis 0 0 0 0 
			 St. Lucia 0 0 0 0 
			 St. Vincent 0 0 0 0 
			 Sudan 4 0 11 15 
			 Swaziland 2 2 0 4 
			 Syria 9 3 2 14 
			 Taiwan 4 1 0 5 
			 Tajikistan 3 9 0 12 
			 Tanzania 7 4 3 14 
			 Thailand 8 0 4 12 
			 Tonga 0 0 0 0 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 3 4 0 7 
			 Tunisia 4 0 1 5 
			 Turkey 44 1 11 56 
			 Turkmenistan 3 2 0 5 
			 Tuvalu 0 0 0 0 
			 United Arab Emirates 0 0 0 0 
			 Uganda 4 6 0 10 
			 Ukraine 18 13 0 31 
			 Uruguay 3 0 0 3 
			 USA 0 0 0 0 
			 Uzbekistan 2 3 2 7 
			 Vanuatu 0 0 0 0 
			 Venezuela 3 1 2 6 
			 Vietnam 15 5 5 25 
			 Yemen 10 0 0 10 
			 Zambia 5 15 0 20 
			 Zimbabwe 18 20 0 38 
			 Total 1,214 395 229 1,838

Chevening Scholarships Programme

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the expenditure on Chevening Scholarships was in each year since 1997.

Jim Murphy: Details for the eight academic years from 1998-99 to 2005-06 are given in the Chevening Programme Annual Report for each year. The reports are available at: http://www.chevening.com/about/reports/. They will also be placed in the Library of the House. There was no annual report for 1997-98 and we do not have accurate financial statistics for that year, but the cost was about £29 million. In academic year 2006-07 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent £29.7 million on Chevening Scholarships and a further £3.6 million on Chevening Fellowships. The figure for Scholarships includes £3.5 million spent on Central Jointly Funded Scholarships.

Cyprus

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when an official from the British High Commission in Cyprus last visited the closed area of Famagusta; and what reports of that visit he received.

Jim Murphy: Officials from our high commission in Nicosia last visited the closed area of Varosha in 2006 in connection with properties within Varosha owned by British citizens. They reported accordingly thereafter.

David Manning: Gifts

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse was of the function organised by UK ambassador to the US Sir David Manning to mark the 50th birthday of Condoleezza Rice; and what the cost of the dress presented to her on that occasion was.

Kim Howells: The dinner in question was held in honour of US Secretary of State Rice and attended by the President, First Lady and other senior figures. There were 111 guests and the cost was US$9,512.05.

Departments: Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list his Department's  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations in each financial year since 2005-06.

Jim Murphy: Details of these bodies are available in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Annual Reports for the relevant years, the FCO's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) website (www.fco.gov.uk/ndpbs), the List of Ministerial Responsibilities (which is published by Cabinet Office on a regular basis and lists all executive agencies) and Public Bodies 2006 (which lists all NDPBs for 2005-06). However, for ease of reference the FCO bodies are listed as follows:
	The FCO had only one executive agency, Wilton Park, in 2005-06. From 1 April 2006 the FCO's list of executive agencies increased to include both Wilton Park and FCO Services.
	Since 2005-06 the FCO had the following executive NDPBs:
	British Association for Central and Eastern Europe;
	The British Council;
	Great Britain China Centre;
	Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission;
	Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
	Since 2005-06 the FCO had the following advisory NDPBs:
	Diplomatic Service Appeal Board;
	Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine;
	Wilton Park Academic Council.
	Since 2005-06 the FCO had the following tribunal NDPB:
	Foreign Compensation Commission.
	The FCO does not currently have any Trading Funds.
	Since 2005-06 the FCO has had only one public corporation, the BBC World Service, although the British Council is also classified as a public corporation by HM Treasury for budgeting purposes only.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will break down in  (a) near cash and  (b) non-cash terms columns 1 to 8 of the subhead detail tables for his Department contained in the (i) main estimate, (ii) winter supplementary estimate and (iii) spring supplementary estimate for financial years 2001-02 to 2007-08.

Jim Murphy: The information in the Part II: Subhead detail table of our Supply Estimates is not broken down by near-cash/non-cash. There are no other published documents that provide a near-cash/non-cash breakdown of this data, though the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) publication (copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House) provides a useful near-cash/non-cash Departmental Expenditure Limit split (DEL) (see Tables 1.6, 1.7 and 2.1 of PESA 2007 for data for years 2001-02 to 2007-08). However, we have been able to provide a near-cash/non-cash split against the columns in the Part II: Subhead detail table in our estimate by showing the non-cash items for each estimate against the relevant column. All other columns are near-cash.
	Columns 1 to 8 of the subhead detail tables for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) contained in the main estimate, winter supplementary estimate and spring supplementary estimate for financial years 2001-02 to 2007-08 are all near-cash except where shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Main estimate  Winter supplementary  Spring supplementary 
			  2001-02
			 Admin column 1,389,060 (1)— 882,764 
			  O f which non-cash 145,895 — 166,945 
			 
			  2002-03
			 Admin column 891,810 (1)— 1,022,907 
			  O f which non-cash 176,483 — 247,735 
			 
			  2003-04
			 Admin column 958,872 (1)— 1,095,859 
			  O f which non-cash 172,089 — 197,246 
			 
			  2004-05
			 Admin column 951,613 842,490 861,270 
			  O f which non-cash 162,313 162,313 162,313 
			 
			  2005-06
			 Admin column 894,469 894,469 933,908 
			  O f which non-cash 176,719 176,719 188,411 
			 
			  2006-07
			 Admin column 928,228 943,069 977,836 
			  O f which non-cash 156,719 156,719 148,719 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Admin column 955,007 (1)— (1)— 
			  O f which non-cash 156,719 — — 
			 Other current column 824,868 — — 
			  O f which non-cash 50,000 — — 
			 (1) No estimate taken. 
		
	
	The aforementioned data is HM Treasury re-classifications and so will be on a different basis year on year. Detailed notes on reclassifications have been provided in the FCO Annual Reports for the years in question.
	Data taken from Supply Estimates or resource accounts are not necessarily readily compatible with a near-cash/non-cash split, which is used only within the DEL budgetary controls applied by HM Treasury. The ability of Departments to provide such a split will depend partly on the extent of reconciliations between voted provision and budgetary limits.

Egypt: Prisoners

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on the recent jailing and fining of independent journalists and editors-in-chief in Egypt.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this issue with his Egyptian counterpart. Our ambassador in Cairo, however, has raised our concerns with Ministers and officials in the Egyptian Government. There have been positive developments in freedom of expression in Egypt in recent years, but we are concerned by recent events. We will continue to raise this issue with the Egyptian Government when appropriate.

EU Countries: Cross Border Cooperation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to implement the European Grouping for Territorial Co-operation.

Jim Murphy: The legislation required for the European Grouping for Territorial Co-operation (EGTC) Regulation to take proper effect in the UK, Statutory Instrument 2007/1949, came into force on the 1 August 2007. Guidance on forming an EGTC is available on the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform website at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/regional/european-structural-funds/european-grouping-of-territorial-cooperation/page40444.html.
	Currently there are no UK organisations participating in EGTCs or UK EGTCs registered in the UK.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 21-38, how many Iraqis are eligible to receive a package of financial payment for resettlement.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS. Around 260 of locally engaged staff in Iraq have worked for us for 12 months or more and would therefore be able to apply now for financial assistance, or the other options set out in the statement, should they be made redundant or be forced to resign their jobs in what we judge to be extraordinary circumstances. We expect that most if not all of our currently employed locally engaged staff in Iraq will become eligible in due course. Officials are currently looking at the numbers of serving staff who have worked for us for 12 months or more that would be eligible for assistance. We will provide further details at the end of the month.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Iraqis worked for the British Government in each year since 2003 but do not qualify for a package of financial payment for resettlement.

Kim Howells: We estimate that about 20,000 Iraqis have been employed since 2003. The large majority were for very short periods, especially in 2003 and 2004, and do not qualify for assistance.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the packages of financial payment for resettlement to begin to be made to Iraqi staff.

Kim Howells: It is important to ensure that robust mechanisms are in place to administer the scheme fairly and effectively. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS, which promised a further announcement on the implementation of the scheme before the end of the month.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps were taken to ensure  (a) the safety of and  (b) recognition of the contribution made by local Iraqi staff prior to 2005.

Kim Howells: Locally engaged Iraqi staff working for our armed forces and civilian missions in Iraq have made an invaluable contribution to the UK's efforts to support security, stability and development in the new Iraq.
	At all times since 2003, we have recognised a duty of care to our serving Iraqi staff and have taken a range of measures to fulfil that.
	In 2003-04, the environment in which our locally employed work force served was not the same as from 2005. The policy announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 8 October in the House is about recognising our particular debt of gratitude to those who have had a sustained association with us in uniquely difficult circumstances.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the approving authority is in determining which Iraqi staff qualify for a package of financial payment to aid resettlement.

Kim Howells: The scheme will be administered by employing Government Departments, working with the Home Office and other interested Departments. We will announce further details of the administration of the scheme by the end of October.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq of 8 October 2007, 
	(1)  which occupations qualify as professional staff.
	(2)  what the difference is between staff and professional staff with regard to local Iraqi staff.

Kim Howells: Professional staff include interpreters, translators and other Iraqi staff serving in similarly skilled roles necessitating the regular use of written or spoken English.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what coordination he has had with his counterparts in the local region on the resettlement of local Iraqi staff.

Kim Howells: Officials have discussed this issue informally with a number of Governments within the region.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq of 8 October 2007, which countries are included in his definition of local region.

Kim Howells: In this case the term local region covers Arabic-speaking states in the Middle East.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the cost of a single financial payment to aid resettlement for an Iraqi in  (a) Iraq and  (b) elsewhere in the region.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS, which promised a further announcement on this issue before the end of the month. The size of the payments is likely to be linked to salary and would therefore vary according to the individual's job, and his/her employing Department.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from where the aid resettlement package for local Iraqi staff will be funded.

Kim Howells: The costs of the total package, including resettlement or admission to the UK and financial assistance, will be shared between employing departments and the Home Office.

Iraq: Resettlement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the agreed circumstances are in which local Iraqi staff may receive admission to the United Kingdom.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS.

Kosovo: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Russian government's intention to veto any UN Security Council resolution that would give Kosovo supervised independence; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Russia has made clear its opposition to the comprehensive proposal for a Kosovo status settlement submitted to the UN Special Envoy for Kosovo on 26 March 2007. This position has so far prevented passage of a Security Council Resolution that would allow for implementation of that proposal.
	Within the Contact Group, we continue to work closely with Russia on the issue of Kosovo's future status. Negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina are ongoing, facilitated by a Troika of EU/Russian/US officials. At their last meeting in New York on 27 September, Contact Group Ministers agreed that an early resolution of Kosovo's status is crucial to the stability and security of the Western Balkans. They expressed full support for the Troika process.

Mordecai Vanunu

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Israeli Government on the continuing imprisonment of Mordechai Vanunu in that country.

Kim Howells: Mordechai Vanunu was re-convicted on 30 April 2007 of breaching an order barring him from contacts with the foreign press. Officials from our embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns about Mr. Vanunu's re-conviction on 3 July. We will continue to follow developments on this case.

Palestinians: Entry Clearances

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the visa applications of the Palestine under-19 football squad.

Kim Howells: On 12 September, as the Minister responsible for entry clearance I requested UKvisas to review the refusal of the visa applications submitted by the Palestine National Youth Football Team. I have considered the outcome of this review and am satisfied that the decision was correct and entirely in accordance with the Immigration Rules.

Rendition

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the provision of support and information to the US Administration in relation to the investigation of terrorism and the questioning of suspects.

Kim Howells: The Government work closely with the US Government on issues relating to the investigation of terrorism. Many of the terrorist threats to the UK have international connections, which can only be dealt with effectively in co-operation with the intelligence and security agencies of other states. When working with the US Administration, or any other foreign government, we ensure that we act in accordance with our human rights obligations.

Russia: Human Rights

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place between his Department and the Russian Government on human rights in Russia; what progress was made during these discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We have a mature and frank relationship with Russia on a wide range of human rights and democracy issues. We don't shy away from making our concerns known and Russia in turn have issues they raise with us.
	We most recently raised our concerns through the EU/Russia Human Rights Consultations on 3 October. The EU raised a number of specific concerns about the human rights situation in Russia, particularly regarding freedom of expression and assembly, specifically in regard to the run-up to the parliamentary and presidential elections. Other concerns raised related to freedom of the press, the position of Russian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society following the entry into force of the law on NGO activities and the counter-extremism law, as well as respect for the rule of law and the situation in the Northern Caucasus. The two sides also discussed the issues of minorities, combating torture and maltreatment as well as the issue of women rights, including trafficking.

Russia: Human Rights

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on human rights violations in Russia; what assessment he has made of those reports; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office closely monitors the human rights situation in Russia and remains concerned about the ongoing reports of human rights violations, which we receive from our embassy in Moscow, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Russia media sources.
	Our main concern is that these reports indicate a further shrinking of the democratic space in Russia, primarily through the recent NGO and anti-extremist laws and the restrictions imposed on opposition parties. There are concerns that this shrinking could worsen in the lead up to the parliamentary elections in December and the 2008 presidential elections. Other human rights concerns include: the restrictions on media freedom and increased risk to journalists safety; the rise in attacks on ethnic, racial and religious minorities; the increasing use of forced psychiatric treatment and detention; and the ongoing reports of extra-judicial killings, torture, abduction and arbitrary detention in Chechnya and elsewhere in the North Caucasus.

Russia: Non-Governmental Organisations

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place between his Department and the Russian government on the position of non-governmental organisations in Russia; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We have a mature and frank relationship with Russia on a wide range of human rights and democracy issues, both through specific bilateral and EU human rights consultations. We make our concerns known and they in turn have issues they raise with us.
	We have consistently voiced our concerns about restrictions upon the legitimate work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Russia. We most recently raised our concerns through the EU/Russia Human Rights Consultations on 3 October.
	Some NGOs have expressed concern that the requirements imposed by the new NGO law, including registration, have limited their activities. Some individual NGOs have also found their operating environment further constrained by legislation and harassment. Many of these organisations had received funding from international institutions or from foreign governments.

Russia: Non-Governmental Organisations

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to support the position of non-governmental organisations in Russia; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Along with EU partners, we are actively monitoring implementation of the non-governmental organisations (NGO) law. We repeatedly call on the Russian authorities to implement the NGO law in line with their international commitments. Our concerns over the NGO law were raised during the EU/Russia Human Rights Consultations on 3 October.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funds NGOs working in Russia as part of its global programme of project work to develop civil society. This includes funding of NGOs working on sustainable development, human rights and economic governance issues. Many of these projects are run in full co-operation with the Russian authorities. For example, the Russian Federal Prison Service has co-operated extensively on a number of projects and has on more than one occasion expressed its gratitude for the active support of the UK on Russian prison reform.
	In October 2006, the FCO held a seminar on the NGO law. It gave UK NGOs the opportunity to put questions to a senior official of the Federation Registration Service, which is responsible for registering foreign NGOs under the amended law.

Sudan: Peace Keeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack on African Union troops at Haskanita, South Darfur.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 30 September utterly condemning the recent murder of African Union Peacekeepers in Haskanita, Darfur in an attack which he went on to describe as a callous and destructive act. He also called on all sides in the conflict to commit to an immediate cessation of hostilities and to join the political process as the only route to lasting peace in Darfur. We have made clear to all sides in the conflict there can be no impunity for crimes committed in Darfur. This attack appears to have been initiated by rebel groups, which poses particular challenges in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

USA: Drugs

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) advice and  (b) guidance his Department has issued to UK citizens with past drugs offences who wish to travel to the US; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice advises that all UK citizens with criminal convictions should consult the US embassy regarding the need to obtain a visa prior to travel, as they may not qualify for travel under the US Visa Waiver Programme.
	We provide similar advice to any direct requests we receive regarding planned travel to the US for those with convictions, whether drug related or otherwise.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he intends to publish the fourth report by PricewaterhouseCoopers into the academies programme.

Jim Knight: The fourth PricewaterhouseCoopers report into the academies programme was published on the Department's website on the 19 July this year and is available in the House Library.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether it is his policy that local authorities may be providers and sponsors of academies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Local authorities can be co-sponsors of academies. Under a co-sponsorship arrangement the lead sponsor retains majority control over the academy trust, and can appoint two local authority appointed governors to the governing body. Where the local authority is not a co-sponsor, the governing body would have only one local authority appointed governor.

Academies: Facilities

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies have begun sharing their facilities with  (a) other schools and  (b) the local community following the changes to VAT announced in the 2007 Budget.

Jim Knight: holding answer 8 October 2007
	 The Department does not hold this information centrally. However, the Department's expectation is for all academies to collaborate with other schools and to be extended schools, providing access to their facilities to local communities.

Academies: Investment

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies have charitable investment funds established by their sponsors following changes to the programme announced in March 2006; and what information his Department collects on the use to which such funds are put.

Jim Knight: holding answer 8 October 2007
	Sponsorship for the first Academies was provided in the form of a contribution to the capital costs of new buildings. In July 2006, the endowment model of sponsorship was introduced whereby Academy Trusts set up an endowment fund, the proceeds of which are to be used to combat the impact of deprivation on education in the local community. As at 4 October 2007, 13 Academies have had charitable investment funds established by their sponsors.
	To date, the Department has not collected information from these Academies on their endowment funds. However, the model Deed of Gift requires the Academy Trust to supply the Secretary of State and the Academy Sponsor with an annual statement showing how the fund has been used. The Department will collect information from Academy Trusts on the amounts received from this form of sponsorship on a six monthly basis, in the same way as it does for traditional sponsorship, and the published Annual Accounts for each Academy will record how much has been received and how much has been spent, identifying the Endowment Fund separately from other funds.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Greater London

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects  (a) Leyton and Leytonstone schools and  (b) Wanstead and Snaresbrook schools to be included in the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The London borough of Waltham Forest has been prioritised as wave one and five of the Building Schools for the Future programme. Waltham Forest reached financial close on their BSF wave one project on 31 August 2007. Construction has commenced and the first schools are due to be open by September 2008. Wave five includes Leyton, Leytonstone and Chingford, and will be eligible for funding from 2009-10.
	Conversations and preparatory work are currently ongoing between the local authority and DCSF officials, regarding Waltham Forest's strategy for secondary education, and the requirement that strategy places upon the physical school estate. Formal engagement will commence on wave five once the LA has demonstrated their readiness to deliver.
	Redbridge (including Wanstead and Snaresbrook) is currently programmed as wave 13 to 15.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Sports

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding from the Building Schools for the Future initiative has been spent on modern sports facilities.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect information on the amount of funding spent on specific facilities within school buildings.
	The total capital investment in schools will rise to over £8 billion a year by 2010-11 and the envelope of funding provided for Building Schools for the Future will support substantial investment in sports facilities where this is the local priority.

Departments: Reviews

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what independent reviews have been commissioned by his Department and its predecessors since 1 May 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the policy objectives of the educational maintenance allowance were; what evaluation has been undertaken of its performance in meeting those objectives; what the criteria are for receiving the allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: EMA is designed to address the issue that the UK has one of the lowest rates of participation in education among 16-year-olds in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Its aim is to encourage more young people from lower income backgrounds to enter academic or vocational post-compulsory education.
	EMA was subject to one of the most comprehensive evaluations of any educational initiative. The results indicated an increase in participation by 16-year-olds of 3.8 per cent. points nationally and 4.1 per cent. points nationally for 17-year-olds.
	A young person will be entitled to receive EMA in England in the 2007/08 academic year if they are:
	Age 16,17 or 18 and
	live in a household with an annual income of £30,810 or less;
	Meet the terms of their learning agreement by participating in learning which will never be less than 12 hours of guided learning hours and in most cases will be significantly more.
	Their course/programme is level 1-3 with a minimum duration of 10 weeks. Full time education includes Further Education Colleges, School 6(th) Form and Providers who offer Entry To Employment (E2E) and Programme led Apprentices.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was allocated to the provision of educational maintenance allowance (EMA) in each financial year since inception including piloting; how many young people received EMA in each year since its inception including piloting; what the impact of compulsory education until 18-years-old is expected to be on the EMA; what plans he has for alternative provision in the light of that policy; and what estimate he has made of the total  (a) establishment and  (b) annual costs of compulsory schooling to 18 years.

Jim Knight: The numbers of young people receiving EMA in each academic year since inception is shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			   Numbers accessing EMA 
			 1999/2000 14,135 
			 2000/01 73,230 
			 2001/02 114,254 
			 2002/03 124,351 
			 2003/04 126,871 
			 2004/05 297,567 
			 2005/06 430,327 
			 2006/07 528,403 
		
	
	Expenditure on education maintenance allowance since its inception in 1999 is shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Expenditure  £ million 
			 1999-2000 11 
			 2000-01 52 
			 2001-02 109 
			 2002-03 120 
			 2003-04 142 
			 2004-05 260 
			 2005-06 406.6 
			 2006-07 502.9 
		
	
	Financial support for learning will be restructured when the compulsory participation age is raised to 18, and we are looking at a variety of methods to ensure that this is done in the most effective way to ensure young people are enabled to participate. In doing this we will build on the reforms from the Government's review of financial support for young people, and the views we gathered in the public consultation on "supporting young people to achieve".
	We will ensure that there is appropriate, engaging and worthwhile provision available to all young people to enable them to participate successfully.
	The estimated costs of raising the participation age are set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment published alongside the Green Paper on 22 March. This can be accessed at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/RIA%20[FINAL]%20word%20version.pdf
	I have placed a copy in the Library of the House. We estimate that there will be one-off costs of around £200 million, made up of £80 million for new buildings and facilities, and £120 million for the training of new staff. We estimate that there will be annual costs of around £740 million on top of costs already factored into achieving our existing aspiration of 90 per cent. participation of 17-year-olds by 2015. This is made up of £590 million in additional participation costs, £50 million in additional funding for local authorities (to run the registration system, to provide additional support and guidance, and to enforce the duty), £10 million in enforcement costs and £90 million in additional costs to support those with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Education: Assessments

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of 15 year olds were  (a) on school rolls,  (b) entered for one or more Key Stage 4 qualification and  (c) awarded passes for one or more such qualifications in (i) England, (ii) Wirral and (iii) Birkenhead in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information that is readily available is given as follows:
	The proportion of 15-year-olds on roll as a proportion of all 15-year-olds is not held by the Department.
	
		
			  Number of 15-year-old( 1)  pupils 
			   Birkenhead  Wirral  England 
			 1997 996 3,899 586,766 
			 1998 1,019 3,965 575,210 
			 1999 785 4,029 580,972 
			 2000 735 3,838 580,393 
			 2001 829 4,121 603,318 
			 2002 836 4.065 606,554 
			 2003 880 4,233 622,122 
			 2004 942 4,392 643,560 
			 2005 912 4,279 636,771 
			 2006 885 4,264 648,942 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August.  Note: England figure includes all schools.  Source: School Achievement and Attainment Tables 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils( 1)  to be entered for one or more GCSEs or equivalent 
			   Wirral  England 
			 1997 93.6 94.0 
			 1998 92.9 94.6 
			 1999 93.9 94.9 
			 2000 94.9 95.4 
			 2001 96.3 95.6 
			 2002 95.8 95.7 
			 2003 96.7 96.2 
			 2004 96.7 97.0 
			 2005 97.6 97.7 
			 2006 97.3 97.5 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August.  Note: England figure includes all schools.  Source: School Achievement and Attainment Tables. 
		
	
	The percentage of 15-year-olds to attempt GCSEs or equivalents in Birkenhead is available only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Percentage of 15-year-old( 1)  pupils to achieve any such qualification 
			   Birkenhead  Wirral  England 
			 1997 88.8 92.2 92.3 
			 1998 87.3 92.1 93.3 
			 1999 89.4 93.1 93.9 
			 2000 93.3 93.9 94.3 
			 2001 96.0 95.0 94.4 
			 2002 93.1 94.5 94.5 
			 2003 91.4 94.7 94.8 
			 2004 93.7 95.9 95.9 
			 2005 93.2 96.3 96.4 
			 2006 95.7 97.1 96.7 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August.  Note: England figure includes all schools.  Source: School Achievement and Attainment Tables. 
		
	
	Further constituency level statistics are available on the Department's In Your Area website at:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/inyourarea

Education: Warrington

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to increase the percentage of young people between 16 and 18 years old in Warrington education.

Jim Knight: Engagement in learning, and educational attainment, are critical if young people are to achieve good outcomes, and fulfil their potential. My Department has a number of initiatives already in place to ensure that 16 to 19-year-olds have access to education and employment with training. Our 14-19 reforms, that include an entitlement for every young person to access a Diploma programme from 2013, will ensure that all young people have the opportunity to choose a learning pathway which suits them and which can be the basis for progression to further learning, higher education and employment.
	Government-funded apprenticeships offer the opportunity for young people to earn as they learn. There over 200 apprenticeships, designed by employers, available to 16 to 19-year-olds in 80 different sectors with 130,000 employers taking part. These apprenticeships give employees the opportunity to learn on the job and also through off the job training.
	16 and 17-year-olds who are in employment, and who have not yet attained NVQ level 2 or equivalent, are entitled to reasonable paid time off during normal working hours to study or train for a qualification which will improve their future employment prospects. The Department is also piloting Learning Agreements to help 16 and 17-year-olds in employment get back into education and training. Young people will agree personal contracts to return to education or vocational training in return for financial support.
	However, we are not complacent and know that there is a lot more to do. Numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds in full-time education have increased in Warrington from 63 per cent. in 1998 to 68 per cent. in 2005, but we need to do more to increase the number of work-based learning opportunities for young people. By 2013 we will introduce an entitlement to an apprenticeship place for all school-leavers who meet the entry criteria. It will mean that every young person leaving school who wants to continue their learning in a work-based environment can do so.
	Once the Diploma and apprenticeship entitlements are in place, all young people will be required to continue in education or training post-16. The bill will include provisions to raise to 18 the minimum age at which young people can leave education or training.

European Schools Programme

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the evolution of the European Schools programme, with particular reference to its activities in England.

Jim Knight: The EU institution, European Schools, was established by an intergovernmental agreement in 1957. Its purpose is to provide an education based on mother tongue teaching for the children of officials of the EU institutions and its agencies. There are 14 schools in various countries across Europe. The Government are committed to the future of the European Schools and fulfils their obligations under the 1994 Convention Defining the Statute of the European Schools through its membership of the governing body. The United Kingdom has one school in Culham in Oxfordshire. It was established in the late 1970s to support the employees of the EFDA-JET project based at Culham Laboratories.
	At its meeting in April 2007 in Lisbon, the European Schools' Board of Governors took a decision to allow Culham School to leave the European Schools system because it no longer has enough pupils entitled to an education under the provisions of the intergovernmental agreement. The decision allows Culham to stay in the system until at least 2010, but its transition into either the state or private sector must be completed by 2017. The EFDA decision to phase out its project at Culham and move the remaining work to its other base in France has contributed to this decision.
	It is too early to say exactly what the future holds for Culham School, but my officials are working in support of the parents and management of the school to ensure a smooth transition.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in Suffolk passed five GCSEs including English and mathematics at A* to C grade in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of 15-year-olds( 1)  gaining 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C including English and Maths 
			   Suffolk  England( 2) 
			 2002 42.5 42.1 
			 2003 42.8 41.9 
			 2004 43.1 42.6 
			 2005 45.9 44.3 
			 2006 45.8 45.3 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August. (2) England figure includes all schools.  Source: School Achievement and Attainment Tables.

GSCE and A-level: Sports

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of students studied GCSE sports studies in each local authority in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of students studied  (a) AS-level and  (b) A-level sports studies in each local authority in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However national figures for GCSE, and A-Level are readily available.
	Figures on the number of 15-year-olds(1) to attempt GCSE Physical Education are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of 15-year-olds  Percentage of 15-year-olds 
			 1997 80,914 13.8 
			 1998 83,665 14.5 
			 1999 93,503 16.1 
			 2000 96,769 16.7 
			 2001 105,651 17.5 
			 2002 111,750 18.4 
			 2003 110,744 17.8 
			 2004 121,433 18.9 
			 2005 141,945 22.3 
			 2006 151,185 23.3 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August  Source: School Achievement and Attainment Tables 
		
	
	Numbers and proportions of A-level candidates to attempt a GCE A-level in Sports/Physical Education are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of Sports/Ph y s ical  Ed ucation  candidates  Proportion of all A-level candidates 
			 1997 11,696 5.1 
			 1998 13,680 5.8 
			 1999 14,740 6.2 
			 2000 15,853 6.9 
			 2001 16,779 7.0 
			 2002 16,655 6.5 
			 2003 18,763 7.0 
			 2004 19,234 7.3 
			 2005 19,759 7.5 
			 2006 21,533 8.3

Primary Education: Teaching Methods

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the criteria are for the one-to-one tuition of 300,000 primary school pupils recently announced by the Prime Minister; and whether this will be available to primary schools in Darwen, Lancashire.

Jim Knight: The Prime Minister announced that the Government would be offering one-to-one tuition for over 300,000 under-attaining pupils a year in English by 2010-11, and over 300,000 pupils a year in Maths. We are currently planning how this should be delivered and will use lessons learned from the tuition element of the "Making Good Progress" pilot, and other existing individual intervention programmes, to inform this.

Schools: Cadets

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many combined cadet force units there were in mainstream schools in each local education authority in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: I have been asked to reply.
	The MOD does not hold a record of the local authority of each school with a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) contingent. Our records are based on the Army's regional Brigade areas.
	The total number of CCF contingents in the last 10 years is:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997 242 
			 1998 241 
			 1999 239 
			 2000 237 
			 2001 241 
			 2002 244 
			 2003 248 
			 2004 250 
			 2005 251 
			 2006 253 
			 2007 260

Schools: Extracurricular Activities

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of schools that offer after school activities until 6 pm in England, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) constituency.

Beverley Hughes: We do not collect information centrally on the number of schools providing after school activities. We do, however, have information on the number and percentages of schools providing access to the full core offer of extended services in England. For primary schools this includes providing access to child care and a varied menu of activities. For secondary schools it includes providing access to a varied menu of activities. The lists which have been placed in the Library show the number and percentage of schools in each region and constituency that are providing access to full core offer of extended services.
	There are many other schools which are already providing parts of the core offer, including a varied menu of activities, and developing access to other services which are not yet included in these figures.
	We want all schools to offer access to extended services by 2010, including providing access to a range of activities, with at least half of all primary and a third of secondary schools doing so by September 2008. Primary schools are expected to provide, as part of the core offer, access to affordable child care at or through their school from 8 am to 6 pm all year round, which is linked to a varied menu of activities. Secondary schools are not expected to offer formal child care but they are expected to provide access to a varied menu of activities in a safe place to be, before and after school from 8 am to 6 pm and during the school holidays in response to demand. Activities may include study support activities such as sports clubs, music tuition, dance, drama and art clubs.
	We are providing over £1.1 billion for extended schools in England for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what his latest estimate is of the total cash balances held by all schools in each year between 1990-91 and 2007-08; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on deducting money from schools' balances; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what his most recent estimate is of the amount of schools' surplus balances which will be clawed back and redistributed in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will publish all guidance issued to local authorities since 1 January 2007 on cash balances held by schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what powers he has to claw back excess cash balances held by  (a) academies,  (b) trust schools and  (c) foundation schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what his most recent estimate is of the excess cash balances held by each school in England;
	(7)  what assessment he has made of the legality of clawing back unspent allocations of Standards Fund monies from schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  how many schools had an excess cash balance in each reporting period from 1997-98 to 2007-08; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  what his latest estimate is of the proportion of cash surpluses held by schools in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08 which represents committed expenditure on future projects; and if he will make a statement;
	(10)  what plans he has to fine schools for holding excessive balances; and if he will make a statement;
	(11)  whether he plans to take steps to stop schools from being required to give up a proportion of cash surpluses held by them in 2006-07 which has subsequently been spent; and if he will make a statement;
	(12)  what his most recent estimate is of the total surplus cash balances held by schools in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement;
	(13)  when he plans to make a statement on the redistribution of a proportion of surplus cash balances held by schools on 31 March;

Jim Knight: Total net closing revenue balances for local authority maintained schools for the financial years for which data are available are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total revenue balance( 1,2) 
			 1999-00(3) 740,691,354 
			 2000-01 1,085,602,004 
			 2001-02 1,256,776,093 
			   
			 2062-03(4) 1,192,864,397 
			 2003-04 1,323,989,041 
			 2004-05 1,532,855,786 
			 2005-06 1,570,348,360 
			 (1) A school's total revenue balance is calculated from the combination of any unspent allocations (including unspent Standards Fund grants) and the cumulative balance of income less expenditure from revenue funding sources during the financial year and any balances carried forward from previous years. This is drawn by adding together the unspent allocations and balance carried forward columns from local authorities Section 52 Outturn Statements 1999-2000 to 2001-02 (Table 2) and Consistent Financial Reporting categories B01 and B02 from local authorities Section 52 Outturn Statements (Table B) from 2002-03 onwards. (2) Included are all local authority maintained schools correctly reported by the local authority on their Section 52 Outturn Statement. Local authority maintained nursery schools with delegated budgets have only been collected on Section 52 from 2003-04 onwards. (3) School level revenue balances are not available prior to the inception of Section 52 for the 1999-2000 financial year. (4) In 2002-03 the Section 52 outturn categories were aligned with the Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) framework following the introduction of CFR to schools. The change in sources is shown by the blank row. Some inconsistencies with the balance figures reported by local authorities' in 2002-03 were identified and consequently caution should be exercised when using the balance figures for that year. 
		
	
	The Department is currently collecting and validating local authorities' outturn data for the financial year 2006-07 and we will publish this later in the autumn. But early indications are that the total of balances has increased again.
	It is right that schools should be able to accrue revenue balances from one year to the next in support of strategic, long term, financial planning. However, I am clear that it is not acceptable for Government to allow balances to continue to accumulate. At the end of 2005-06, total net revenue balances were 5.3 per cent. of schools' total income. For schools with a positive balance, the figure is 6.7 per cent. of total income. Moreover, around 17 per cent. of schools had held an excess surplus for each of the last five years. This is taxpayers' money voted by Parliament for the education of the pupils in schools in the year in question and it should not be steadily accumulating in schools' bank accounts.
	We are therefore taking action on two fronts to bring the total down. We have introduced a requirement that, from 2007-08, all local authorities must, where they do not already, operate a balance control mechanism enabling them to claw back excess surplus balances. These are defined in the guidance as uncommitted revenue balances above 8 per cent. of total income for primary and special schools and 5 per cent. for secondary schools. The guidance is available in the Library of the House and can be viewed at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/schemesforfinancingschools/
	To be effective, claw-back requires local authorities to scrutinise schools' plans for using their excess surplus balances and reach a judgement on whether the balance is genuinely committed to be spent for a specific purpose within a specified timescale. Claw-back is only as effective, therefore, as the local authority's scrutiny is rigorous.
	In 2005-06, local authorities reported that £988 million or 62.9 per cent. of balances was committed for specific purposes. However what is defined as a committed revenue balance varies from one local authority to another and the split of total revenue balances into committed and uncommitted balances is not reliable. For example, in 2005-06, 37 local authorities reported less than 25 per cent. of their total revenue balances as committed whereas 62 LAs reported more than 75 per cent. of their total revenue balance as committed.
	The Government expect claw-back to have some impact but we believe it is right to take further action on all balances to ensure that their overall level reduces so that some of this money is used to support the education of today's pupils. We proposed in the consultation on the school, early years and 14 to 16 funding arrangements in spring this year to require all local authorities to redistribute locally 5 per cent. of all positive revenue balances from 2008-09. Local authorities will decide with their Schools Forum how the money is to be redistributed locally to support local needs and priorities.
	I announced in my statement of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 2WS, our decision to proceed with this proposal, and in September my Department published an Explanatory Note for local authorities and Schools Forums on the school funding arrangements for the next three years, including further detail on how the balance redistribution would work in practice. The Explanatory Note is available in the Library and on TeacherNet at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolfunding2008to11.
	The Department is now consulting on the draft school finance regulations for 2008 which would bring the balance redistribution into effect. The proposition is that local authorities should calculate 5 per cent. of the most recent positive revenue balance for all schools, and add this sum to the total Schools Budget for the coming year. For 2008-09, it is proposed that this should be final balances at the end of 2006-07 since final balances for 2007-08 will not be known before authorities notify schools of their budgets by the end of March. Consultation closes on 26 October and I will announce our final decisions on the redistribution in the light of the comments received. Details of the consultation can be viewed at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolfundingframework/
	and copies are available in the Library.
	It is clear from early responses that schools are particularly concerned about the use of 2006-07 balances. We will want to look very carefully at this aspect of the proposals in particular in reaching final decisions in the light of the consultation.
	Local authority claw-back mechanisms and the proposed balance redistribution apply to all local authority maintained schools including foundation and trust schools. Academies and city technology colleges (CTCs) are not subject to the same rules on the carry-forward of balances as maintained schools. Instead, the requirements are set out in their individual funding agreements. The normal provision is that the academy or CTC may carry forward at the end of any year a sum which at maximum is 12 per cent. of the General Annual Grant (GAG) for the year just ended; and within that overall limit only 2 per cent., at most, of the preceding year's GAG can be carried forward for revenue spend; the rest must be for capital purposes. This calculation is not cumulative—that is, the total sum carried forward should never grow larger than 12 per cent. of the preceding year's GAG. Adherence to these limits is monitored by the Department and GAG may be clawed back if they are exceeded, although the Secretary of State is empowered under the funding agreements to approve a higher limit in individual cases. There are no plans to change these provisions.
	Standards Fund grants are paid under sections 14-18 of the Education Act 2002. Section 16 allows the Secretary of State to set the terms of those payments, including the circumstances in which grant is to be repaid, and how grant should be distributed to schools.
	In my written ministerial statement of 15 March,  Official R eport, column 18WS I announced the publication by my Department of a summary of the data on school balances for the financial years for which information is available—1999-2000 to 2005-06. This includes data on balances for all local authority maintained schools, together with regional and local authority level summaries. It shows the proportions declared to be committed and uncommitted and the amount of balances meeting the definition of "excess balances". Copies have been placed in the Library and the information is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/localauthorities/section52/subPage.cfm?action=section52.default&ID=84.
	Information on closing balances is collected after the end of the financial year so data for 2007-08 onwards are not yet available. As already noted, my Department will publish data for 2006-07 later this autumn.
	In 2005-06 positive balances totalled just over £1.7 billion. A redistribution of 5 per cent. of all positive balances in all authorities would deliver in the region of £85 million in 2008-09 to support locally agreed priorities. As total balances reduce over the spending review period it is anticipated that the income generated through the redistribution will be marginally reduced, however it is not currently possible to predict the total surplus balances over this period.

Schools: Finance

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  when he plans to publish the results of his Department's consultation on a proposed levy of 5 per cent. on school surplus balances;
	(2)  how many submissions to his consultation on a proposed levy of 5 per cent. on school surplus balances have  (a) supported,  (b) opposed and  (c) expressed concerns about the proposed levy.

Jim Knight: The Department is currently consulting on the draft school finance regulations for 2008 which will give effect to the proposal to require local authorities to redistribute locally 5 per cent. of all surplus revenue school balances. The consultation closes on 26 October and we will consider carefully all the representations received before taking final decisions. A report on the outcome of the consultation, including an analysis of responses, will be published on the TeacherNet website and a copy placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible after the close of consultation.

Schools: Sports

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) competition managers and  (b) sports co-ordinators for schools have been appointed.

Jim Knight: This information is not collected centrally.

Schools: Sports

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many climbing walls there are in  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold information on numbers of schools with climbing walls.

Schools: Vetting

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average amount of time taken was for a Criminal Records Bureau check to be completed on a potential member of school staff in 2006-07.

Kevin Brennan: The information sought by the hon. Member is not available. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is unable to provide information on Disclosure applications based on employment sector.
	Data concerning the average waiting time taken to complete a Disclosure are not a performance target and are not collated by the CRB. The CRB operates to a set of published service standards (PSS) which include to issue 90 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within 10 days and 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures within 28 days. During 2007 the CRB has consistently exceeded the PSS and in August 2007, the CRB issued 100 per cent. of Standard Disclosures and 96 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures within PSS.

Secondary Education: Standards

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils who attained level 5 or below in the 2007 Key Stage 3 tests in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and  (c) science in each year since 1997 had previously attained level 5 or above at Key Stage 2;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of pupils who took the Key Stage 3 tests in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and  (c) science in each year since 1997 attained the same level or below the level they attained at Key Stage 2 (i) in total and (ii) for pupils who attained (A) level 3, (B) level 4 and (C) level 5 at Key Stage 2.

Jim Knight: The information available has been placed in the House Library.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

National Affordable Housing Programme

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which housing organisations received funding from the National Affordable Housing Programme; and how much each has been awarded.

Iain Wright: Around 339 registered social landlords and other bodies received public funding as part of the 2006-08 Affordable Housing Programme via the Housing Corporation. These organisations may have bid as part of a partnership or as an individual specialist provider.
	As part of their grant allocation process for the AHP 2006-08, the Housing Corporation published regional allocation statements. These list lead partners and individual specialist providers and grant allocations that they have received for that programme.

Northumberland Unitary Authority

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects elections to take place for a Northumberland unitary authority.

John Healey: In our Discussion Paper 'Councils' Proposals for Unitary Local Government: An Approach to Implementation' published on 22 August we invited the views of those councils potentially affected by restructuring on when elections for any new unitary authorities should be held. That paper indicated that the options for elections in May 2008 or May 2009 are finely balanced and we are now considering the views we have received.

Planning White Paper

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on the Planning White Paper.

Hazel Blears: 30,000 responses were received to the consultation on the Planning White Paper. The Government will produce a summary of responses, including next steps, shortly. However, Ministers continue to receive a range of letters and other representations on the issues raised in the Planning White Paper.

Migration: Housing Plans

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will hold discussions with the Home Secretary on the potential impact of migration on the Government's plans for housing.

Hazel Blears: Household growth in England is being driven by a combination of factors, including increasing longevity, growing numbers of people living alone and migration. The most recent household projections indicate that 223,000 new households will form each year up to 2026, of which 155,000 or 70 per cent., will be single person households.
	Ministers from the Home Office and Communities and Local Government discuss the impact of migration on a range of services throughout the United Kingdom, including housing, at meetings of the Migration Impacts Forum.
	The Forum, which has a remit to focus on the transitional impacts and social benefits of migration experienced by local areas, is co-chaired by Ministers from the Home Office and Communities and Local Government, and is made up of representatives from both within and outside of Government. The next meeting of the Forum will take place on 17 October.

Local Government Settlements: Broxtowe

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will review the impact of floors and ceilings in the local government settlements on Broxtowe local authority.

John Healey: Floor damping ensures that the year-on-year change for all authorities is limited i.e. that no authority receives a large year-on-year decrease. Although Broxtowe has been a net contributor to the floor over the past five years, it has received year-on-year increases in formula grant well above inflation throughout this period.

Planning Appeal: Longford

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to be able to determine the planning appeal by Hitchens in Longford.

Iain Wright: The dates for the inquiry into this planning appeal have yet to be agreed with the parties. In line with the provisions of Schedule 2 to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, we will set a statutory target for deciding this case following the close of the inquiry, and I will arrange for you to be notified both at that time and when the decision is issued.

Local Government Structures

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for further reform of local government structures; and if she will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: There are no plans for a future rolling programme of restructuring. However, we recognise that there may be specific areas where in future there is some appetite for change and where it would be right to issue a focussed and targeted invitation to the councils concerned.

Building Control Documents: Data Protection

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public authorities, including Executive agencies and Government Departments, will have access to the data from the electronic communications of building control documents.

Iain Wright: The current consultation on the "Enabling Electronic Communication of Building Control Documents" will in no way change access rights to building control documents held by local authorities. However, it should be noted that the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) applies to all information (electronic or otherwise) held by local authorities, including building control documents. FOI requests can be made by public authorities, including Executive agencies and Government Departments.

Buildings: Data Protection

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her proposals for enabling electronic communication of building control documents will include data on specific domestic properties which undertake building control work.

Iain Wright: The "Enabling Electronic Communication of Building Control Documents" Regulations proposal, currently out for public consultation, would, subject to the outcome of the consultation and approval of regulations, allow discretionary transmission of all building control documents by electronic means, e.g. applications, notices and certificates. These documents would also include those relating to domestic properties.

Caravan Sites

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons her Department has declined to give local authorities greater powers to use temporary stop notices to tackle unauthorised development in relation to caravans on unauthorised sites.

Iain Wright: The Government's policy is to increase the provision of sites for Gypsy and Travellers, linked to firm but fair use of enforcement powers. In March 2007 Communities and Local Government consulted on an amendment to the temporary stop notice regulations, which would give further powers to local authorities to prohibit the stationing of a caravan already on an unauthorised site, if there was an alternative, authorised site for the residents to move onto. Consultees from various sectors stated use of the proposed new powers would be extremely limited while the need for authorised site provision is so high. We are prepared to revisit the proposed amendment at an appropriate time when authorised provision has been increased to an extent that the powers may be of practical benefit to local authorities.

Community Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government plan to issue a formal response to the Quirk review of Community Management and Ownership of Assets.

Iain Wright: The Government published "Opening the Transfer Window: The Government's Response to the Quirk Review of Community Management and Ownership of Assets" on 22 May 2007, in which they made a commitment to implement the Quirk Review's proposals in full.

Community Development: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether the £50 million for community cohesion announced in her Department's press release of 6 October is  (a) new additional funding,  (b) part of an existing funding stream and  (c) replacing an existing funding stream; and over what period the funding will be made available;
	(2)  by what criteria allocations will be made to local authorities from the £50 million for community cohesion announced in her Department's press release of 6 October; and whether the funding will be ring-fenced.

Parmjit Dhanda: Support for local authorities for community cohesion will rise from £2 million per annum to approximately £50 million over the CSR 2007 period from April 2008 to March 2011.
	£20.5 million is new additional funding; £6 million is part of existing funding streams; and £23 million replaces existing funding streams that were due to cease.
	The criteria upon which community cohesion related allocations are to be made have yet to be decided upon. Further allocation details will be announced as part of local government settlement in December.
	Money will not be ring-fenced and performance will be monitored through the new streamlined Local Government Performance Framework.

Council Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will set a target for clearing the backlog of council house repairs.

Iain Wright: In 1997 the Government set a target to clear the £19 billion backlog of repairs to council housing. In 2001 this target was incorporated into the new "Decent Homes" target to bring all social housing into a decent condition.

Council Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what change there has been in the council housing repair backlog since 2001; how many houses were awaiting repair in 2001; and how many are awaiting repair.

Iain Wright: Latest local authority annual Business Plans estimated that 1 million local authority dwellings were awaiting improvement work as at 1 April 2007, compared with 2.2 million at the same point in 2001.

Council Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the number of  (a) housing association properties,  (b) directly managed properties and  (c) arms length management properties which will not meet the decent homes standard by 2010.

Iain Wright: We expect 95 per cent. of social sector homes to be decent by 2010, this will leave around 200,000 social homes below the decent homes standard. This breaks down to around 40,000 non-decent homes owned by registered social landlords and 160,000 owned by local authorities. We do not yet have detailed information which will allow us to break down the local authority data between those homes managed by ALMOs and those directly managed by the council.

Departments: Alcoholic Drinks

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on  (a) champagne and wine and  (b) alcohol in the last year for which audited figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: This information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Aviation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on staff members flying  (a) first class,  (b) business class and  (c) economy class.

Iain Wright: The current policy of the Department for Communities and Local Government is that staff are required to travel economy class unless there are exceptional circumstances agreed beforehand by a senior manager.

Departments: Billing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason her Department failed to meet its service delivery agreement target for paying undisputed bills on time in 2006-07.

Parmjit Dhanda: During 2006-07, the Department implemented changes to the way the financial support role was delivered. Non-compliance to the procurement processes resulted in a down-turn in prompt payment performance. Further changes are planned to streamline the invoice processing function, which may lead to an initial minor deterioration in performance. However, medium to long-term performance is expected to improve.

Departments: Billing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of invoices for undisputed bills for her Department were paid within 30 days of receipt of the invoice, or within the contractual term if less, in 2006-07; and what the target was for prompt payment of invoices.

Iain Wright: Communities paid 74,004 undisputed invoices within 30 days of receipt of the invoice, or within the contractual term if less, in 2006-07. This is 95.37 per cent. of total invoices paid. The target for prompt payment of invoices is 98 per cent.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham, of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1139W, on Departments: carbon emissions, how many individual flights were offset; and what proportion were outside the European Union.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government offset carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from 1,460 individual flights undertaken during 2006-07. Of these, 9 per cent. were outside the European Union.

Departments: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date the resource accounts for her Department for 2006-07 were published.

Iain Wright: The accounts were laid in the House of Commons on 12 July 2007, and published by the Stationary Office on that date (HC 836). They were published on the Communities website on 16 August 2007.

Departments: Official Cars

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many ministerial cars are allocated to her Department by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Parmjit Dhanda: Six.

Departments: Official Engagements

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what engagements have been undertaken by her and her departmental Ministers in the last three months.

Hazel Blears: A table showing the meetings which the ministerial team has had with external organisation and individuals in the period between l July and 1 October has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Details of the internal meetings are not placed in the public domain as to do so would inhibit the frank exchange between Ministers and officials which is necessary to policy development.

Departments: Pay

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's expenditure was on honoraria payments in the last year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: There are no records of any honoraria payments by Central Department for Communities and Local Government. This does not include the Government Offices or the Department's agencies for whom information is not collected centrally.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will provide a breakdown of the central Government public expenditure by her Department listed as development of English regions on page 36 of her Department's resource accounts for 2006-07 (HC 836).

Parmjit Dhanda: Of the total £l,306.9 million 'RFR1 E: Development of English Regions' spend 'Central Government Spending', £l,280.5 million was expenditure on the Department's contribution to the funding of the Regional Development Agencies (which was channelled via the former DTI).
	The other expenditure of £26.4 million is the total of the following expenditure: £19.3 million on the 'Northern Way Growth Fund'; £6.6 million on 'Regional Chambers'; and £0.5 million on 'Mersey Basin Business Foundation'.

Departments: Religious Sects

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received on cultish behaviour in the  (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order,  (b) New Kadampa Tradition and  (c) Soka Gakkai International.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 October 2007,  Official Report, column 667W.

Departments: Road Traffic offences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of her Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government (CLG) operates a general policy whereby the payment of any fixed penalty tickets incurred by civil servants, either during the hire period of a vehicle or while a private car is being used on official business, is the responsibility of the individual undertaking the travel and not the Department. However, payment of fixed penalty tickets relating to allocated ministerial cars, incurred while carrying out official duties, is deemed to be the responsibility of the department. During the 2006-07 financial year, the Department paid fixed penalty fines to the sum of £200.00.

Departments: Secondment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment.

Parmjit Dhanda: There were 108 individuals seconded to the centre of the Department for Communities and Local Government as at 31 August 2007. Information on secondments to the Government offices or the Department's agencies is not collected centrally.
	These are broken down by (a) the type of body from which the secondment is drawn and (b) by the length of the secondment as at 31 August in the two tables as follows.
	
		
			  (a) Type of body from which secondment is drawn 
			   Number of secondments 
			 Local Government Sector 61 
			 Other Public sector 5 
			 Academia 2 
			 Private Sector 1 
			 Not-for-profit Sector 1 
			 Information not held centrally 38 
			 Grand total 108 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Length of secondment as at 31 August 2007 
			   Total 
			 Less than 1 year 44 
			 Between 1 and 2 years 23 
			 Between 2 and 3 years 13 
			 Between 3 and 4 years 11 
			 4 years or more 17 
			 Grand total 108

Departments: Speeches

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance civil servants who are not special advisers provided to her and her Department's Ministers in preparing speeches at the Labour Party Conference in September.

Parmjit Dhanda: In accordance with the Ministerial Code, civil servants who were not special advisers provided no direct assistance to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, or to her Department's Ministers, in the preparation of speeches for the 2007 Labour Party Conference.

Departments: Training

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1650W, on departments: training, what the titles were of the conferences that  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants in her Department attended from 1 July 2006 to 30 July 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Documents: English Language

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on the provision of public documents in English; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether it is a statutory requirement for local councils to provide public documents in languages other than English;
	(3)  what  (a) statutory and  (b) non-statutory guidance is provided to local authorities on the provision of public documents in languages other than English.

Parmjit Dhanda: In England, there is no statutory requirement for local councils to provide public documents in languages other than English. Communities and Local Government has not issued any statutory or non statutory guidance to local authorities on the provision of public documents in languages other than English. The independent Commission on Integration and Cohesion recommended that there should be guidance and set out what this might look like as part of its final report. As recently announced, based on the Commission's advice, we will be publishing new non-statutory guidance on translation for local authorities and public bodies in the coming weeks.
	However, we do believe knowledge of English is a vital part of integration into British society, as well as a personal advancement.

Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 75W, on the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund, what investigations took place into the allegations made against the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, the New Kadampa Tradition and Soka Gakkai International before her Department took the final decision to grant funds to the three organisations from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer to the earlier answer given on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 555W.

Fire Services: Manpower

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire control staff are planned in  (a) each regional fire control centre and  (b) each region following the implementation of FireControl.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table gives the estimated number of fire control staff for each Regional Control Centre (RCC) following the implementation of FiReControl. These numbers were published in the Full Business Case in June 2007 and include control room operators, managers and other support staff. The actual number of staff employed will be for each RCC company to determine.
	
		
			   Estimated RCC numbers 
			 East Midlands 81 
			 East of England 85 
			 London 114 
			 North West 103 
			 North East 76 
			 South East 93 
			 South West 85 
			 West Midlands 91 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 86 
			 Total 814 
		
	
	All numbers are in terms of full-time equivalents.

Fire Services: Manpower

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire control room staff there are in  (a) each fire authority and  (b) England.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 561-62.

Fire Services: Terrorism

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the risk of  (a) co-ordinated terror attacks and  (b) collective systems failure at the proposed new nine regional fire control rooms; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: FiReControl will form part of the UK's Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) has been consulted regarding general threats to the UK's Critical National Infrastructure, and specific threats to the fire and rescue services.
	Full threat and risk assessments, to HMG security standards, have been conducted (and are continually revised and updated) to examine all threats to the FiReControl system; physical and electronic attacks, both deliberate and accidental. These include threats relating to terrorist activity.
	The threats have been considered; together with an assessment of their likelihood and the impact they could have on the business functions of FiReControl, to determine the appropriate countermeasures for the system. These countermeasures consist of a combination of physical, procedural and technical measures.
	The FiReControl systems are being designed to ensure they are resistant to collective systems failures across the network. These requirements have been included in the contract for provision of the technology. Risk assessments of system failures were conducted prior to selecting the preferred supplier. These assessments addressed the reliability of the technology itself, and the possibility of external events which could cause system failure.
	To provide a further level of resilience, CLG is developing business continuity plans in conjunction with experts from the fire and rescue service to ensure that the control service can continue if there is a system failure.

First Time Buyers: Income

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the ratio between the mean average price of a house for first time buyers and mean average household income was in  (a) England and  (b) each Government Office Region in England in (i) 1997 or the earliest time after that for which figures are available and (ii) the most recent period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Mix-adjusted house prices for first-time buyers are calculated by Communities and Local Government using the Regulated Mortgage Survey with data being available by calendar year. Data on gross income of main householder plus spouse are available from the CLG Survey of English Housing and are available by financial year. The ratio between the two is given in the tables as follows.
	
		
			   Mix-adjusted house price, FTBs, 1997 (£)  Gross income of main householder plus spouse, 1997-98 (£)  Ratio of FTB house price to income 
			 North East 42,904 15,254 2.8 
			 North West — 16,814 — 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 45,173 16,705 2.7 
			 East Midlands 46,304 18,113 2.6 
			 West Midlands 49,842 17,455 2.9 
			 East 61,270 21,425 2.9 
			 London 79,403 23,418 3.4 
			 South East 69,984 23,655 3.0 
			 South West 57,883 19,122 3.0 
			 England 58,391 19,698 3.0

First Time Buyers: Mortgages

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of first time buyers took out mortgages of 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of the property in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: For 2006, based on figures from the Regulated Mortgage Survey, Communities and Local Government estimate that 8.3 per cent. of UK mortgages to first time buyers (excluding sitting tenants) were for 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of the property.
	Figures quoted by the CML give the number of first time buyers in the UK as 410,800 in 2006.
	Using these two figures it is estimated that 34,140 of the first time buyers in 2006 used mortgages that were 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of their property.

First Time Buyers

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of first-time buyers making purchases in the housing market in England in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The number of mortgages to First Time Buyers (FTBs) in the UK is available on the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/2ML2.xls?ref=4624
	For 2006 there were 410,800 FTBs in the UK who used a mortgage to purchase their property.
	The CML estimate that around one in five of reported first time buyers were in fact returning to owner-occupation after renting for a period.

Greenbelt: Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications decided by the First Secretary of State involving development on the Green Belt have been  (a) approved and  (b) rejected since the creation of the Department for Communities and Local Government; and if she will list the location and type of each development.

Iain Wright: I have today placed in the Libraries of the House a table listing all planning applications, involving development in the green belt, decided by the Secretary of State since the creation of the Department for Communities and Local Government on 5 May 2006. Of 42 such applications, 16 were allowed and 26 were refused. The table sets out the development type and location.

Hostels: Employment

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken to encourage employers to give equal consideration to job applicants with a hostel address.

Iain Wright: Our £90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme (HCIP) is making hostels places of change. The key outcome will be to increase the number of people who move on positively from a hostel to a job or training and a settled home. The HCIP offers opportunities to access training, education and job opportunities, which will help counter the negative views often held about hostels.
	In addition, we are providing £1.6 million funding to the voluntary sector to develop training and employment services for the homeless, which will help those in hostels move into employment and on to independent living.

Hostels: Females

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of residents in hostels are women.

Iain Wright: Comprehensive and robust data on the gender of hostel residents are not held centrally.

Hostels: Females

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of hostel places is reserved for women only; and how many  (a) women-only hostels and  (b) places in women-only hostels there are.

Iain Wright: This information is not collected centrally. The Homeless UK project, run by the Resource Information Service, provides information on hostels and supported accommodation for homeless people in England. Their information shows there are 26 direct hostels for women in England (10.5 per cent. of direct access hostels), including three hostels that have some women only accommodation as part of their provision. These hostels provide a total of around 740 bedspaces. In addition there are 90 projects for single women which are second stage, non-emergency supported accommodation with a total of 2,603 bedspaces.

Housing Associations: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether public requests to order disposal apply to empty properties owned by housing associations.

Iain Wright: No. Housing associations are not public bodies for the purposes of part 10 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980, under which public requests to order disposal can be made.

Housing Associations: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing associations in England receive public funding.

Iain Wright: 339 registered social landlords and other bodies received public funding as part of the 2006-08 Affordable Housing Programme via the Housing Corporation. These organisations may have bid as part of partnership or as an individual specialist provider.
	As part of their grant allocation process for the Affordable Housing Programme 2006-08, the Housing Corporation published regional allocation statements. These list lead partners and individual specialist providers and grant allocations that they have received for that programme.
	The regional allocation statements for the 2006-08 Affordable Housing Programme are available on the Housing Corporation website:
	www.housingcorp.gov.uk.

Housing Associations: Property Transfer

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued on  (a) mergers and  (b) property exchanges between housing associations; and what recent (i) representations she has received and (ii) discussions she has had with (A) the Housing Corporation and (B) the Financial Services Authority on negotiations between the Riverside Group and English Churches Housing Group; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: My Department has not issued guidance on either of these subjects. The Housing Corporation's key document for mergers and group structures is "Making Groups Work—Good Practice Note 11 November 2006". This guidance explains the Corporation's basic requirements for existing and new group structures. In addition:
	"Registration with the Housing Corporation April 2004" sets out the Corporation's Registration Criteria listing specific registration requirements linked to the criteria and provides guidance to organisations seeking to become RSLs; and
	"Regulatory Code and guidance August 2005". The "Regulatory Code and guidance" sets out the fundamental obligations of housing associations within the Corporation's regulatory system.
	The Housing Corporation's key document for property exchanges between housing associations is "Disposing of Land April 2003" and sets out the criteria for all disposals of land under Section 9 of the Housing Act 1996.
	The Secretary of State has received no recent representations on the negotiations between the Riverside Group and English Churches Housing Group nor has she had discussions with the Financial Services Authority or the Housing Corporation.
	In the run-up to the merger, the Housing Corporation held four meetings with the Riverside Group and English Churches Housing Group. Since the merger there have been two further meetings between the Corporation and both associations. No meetings were held between the Housing Corporation and the Financial Services Authority.

Housing Data Domain Group

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times her Department's Neighbourhood Statistics: Housing Data Domain Group has met in the last 12 months.

Iain Wright: The Neighbourhood Statistics: Housing Data Domain Group last met on 2 October 2006.

Housing Market

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the market for sales of domestic properties was made up of  (a) one bedroom,  (b) two bedroom,  (c) three bedroom and  (d) four bedroom and above dwellings at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: This information is not collected by the Department. However for England we have made the following estimates based on data from the Regulated Mortgage Survey and HM Land Registry.
	
		
			  Estimated number and proportion of homes sold in 2006 by number of bedrooms 
			  Number of bedrooms  Proportion sold  Properties of all sales ( Percentage ) 
			 One 91,187 7.5 
			 Two 367,804 30.1 
			 Three 535,599 43.8 
			 Four or more 228,370 18.7 
			 Total 1,222,960 100.0

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many tonnes of carbon are emitted each year by an average home built in accordance with  (a) current building regulations and  (b) the level three energy/carbon standard of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Iain Wright: If an average home is assumed to be a semi-detached house with a gas-fired boiler and a floor area of 88.8 metres squared, then the carbon emissions associated with space and hot water heating, ventilation and fixed lighting (not appliances) is estimated to be:
	 (a) 0.553 tonnes of carbon per annum for a home build to Part L of the current Building Regulations (2006);
	 (b) 0.415 tonnes of carbon per annum for a Code level 3 home.
	The energy/carbon standards set for Code level 3 homes represents a 25 per cent. improvement on current building regulations and will become the minimum regulatory standard for new homes when Part L of the Building Regulations are revised in 2010.

Housing: Construction

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the location is of each of the 550 sites owned by central Government being examined for housing development.

Iain Wright: Information about all non-operational public sector sites declared surplus to requirements is available via the Register for Surplus Public Sector Land.
	The Register is managed by English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency. Government Accounting rules require all Government Departments and their sponsored bodies to place sites declared surplus to requirements on the Register for a minimum of 40 working days, to test whether there is interest from other public sector bodies before disposal and release of information into the public domain and to the private market. However, Departments or their sponsored bodies may remove sites from the Register if they change their assessment and decide that the asset is no longer surplus.
	Every three months English Partnerships publishes details from the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land of all sites that have been registered for 40 days or more. This latest list is available from their website at:
	http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/rspsl.htm
	The 550 surplus public sector land sites referred to in the Housing Green Paper are spread across England: 37 per cent. of the sites are in London and the South, 36 per cent. in the Midlands and 27 per cent. in the North. Since the publication of the Green Paper a further 200 sites have been identified that are potentially surplus and which may be suitable for housing. The spread is now 40 per cent. in London and the South, 34 per cent. in the Midlands and East of England and 26 per cent. in the North.
	English Partnerships are actively working with the Government Departments concerned to assess the potential for all these sites for housing development. In due course details of specific sites that are surplus will appear on the Register in the normal way, but for reasons of commercial or operational sensitivity site details are not being released in advance.

Housing: Elderly

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of the Supporting People regime on the choices open to older residents who wish to retain their residential wardens;
	(2)  what consultation has been conducted with older sheltered housing residents on the replacement of residential scheme managers with floating support services;
	(3)  what mechanisms there are for older people living in sheltered housing to challenge or complain about support services commissioned under Supporting People;
	(4)  how many older residents who moved into sheltered housing on the basis of having access to a residential warden are having this service removed as a result of Supporting People;
	(5)  what assessment she has made of the effect of the replacement of residential scheme managers with floating support on the level of security and communal support offered to older residents.

Iain Wright: The Supporting People programme is administered at the local level by the relevant administering authority. It is for the authority to decide which services to fund in order to deliver good quality, value for money housing support services for vulnerable people in their area. The authority should make these decisions informed by the local needs and priorities identified in their five-year Supporting People strategies.
	Moving from accommodation-based or warden models of support to floating support is a decision that can only be taken locally. It is therefore also at that local level that any assessment of their relative value should be made. No central assessment has been made.
	In "Independence and Opportunity", the national Supporting People strategy published earlier this year, the Government set out their expectation that both local authorities and Supporting People service providers should
	"Ensure that there is effective communication with service users and to explain changes properly to service users."
	Any challenges about a consultation process or complaint about services should be made via the relevant authority's complaints procedure or that of the service provider.
	It is for commissioners of services locally to understand the factors that influence an older person's decision to take up a specific type of accommodation. This is not measured centrally by the Government.

Housing: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) interim and  (b) full empty dwelling management orders have been issued; and which local authorities have issued them.

Iain Wright: Six interim empty dwelling management orders have been approved by residential property tribunals since the relevant provisions of the Housing Act 2004 were fully implemented in July 2006. The following table provides a monthly breakdown of relevant decisions made by residential property tribunals.
	
		
			  Month of decision  Type of case  Decision  Local authority 
			 February 2007 Application for Interim EDMO Authorised South Oxfordshire District Council 
			 February 2007 Application for Interim EDMO Not authorised Watford Borough Council 
			 March 2007 Application for Interim EDMO Authorised Norwich City Council 
			 May 2007 Application for Interim EDMO Authorised Peterborough City Council 
			 July 2007 Application for Interim EDMO Authorised London Borough of Hounslow 
			 August 2007 Application for Interim EDMO Authorised Wychavon District Council 
			 September 2007 Application for Interim EDMO Authorised London Borough of Lewisham

Housing: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with the third sector on provision of social housing in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Coventry.

Iain Wright: The Department for Communities and Local Government, through the Government office West Midlands, has had no direct discussions with the third sector related to provision of affordable housing either in respect of the West Midlands or Coventry.
	Direct contact with the third sector is undertaken by the strategic housing authorities as they work in partnership with both the housing corporation and registered social landlords (RSLs) to develop affordable housing for priority groups.
	In 2007 the West Midlands Regional Assembly published its second West Midlands Housing Strategy, which was developed through a comprehensive consultation process across the region with a wide variety of stakeholders, including representatives of the third sector.
	Coventry city council operates a strategic housing regeneration fund which provides complementary funding to RSLs as they address the needs of vulnerable people to support independent living.
	As such schemes are developed appropriate representation from the third sector voluntary and community groups is a fundamental principle.
	Examples of the kind of schemes that Coventry, with the third sector, is currently supporting and developing through the Strategic Housing Regeneration Fund are a housing scheme for lone teenage parents, and supported housing for people with learning disabilities.

Housing: Renewable Energy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times she has attended meetings with representatives of  (a) the Home Builders' Federation and  (b) the Renewable Energy Association in the last 12 months.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has not held any meetings with representatives of either the Home Builders' Federation or the Renewable Energy Association in the last 12 months.

Housing: Solar Power

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's estimate is of the marginal cost per household to the developer of installing an average sized domestic solar hot water system in new build housing developments.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The marginal cost per household to the developer will vary greatly depending on factors including the size of development and the size and type of housing in which the system is being installed. While BERR does not maintain data on average figures, evidence from recent projects and other work suggests that the current cost is likely to be between £2,500 and £4,000 per household.

Housing: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make the stock condition survey assessment model used by her Department accessible to local authorities in the same manner as the HM Treasury model; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The question, asked by the hon. Gentleman is unclear in terms of what model is being referred to. No econometric model of housing stock conditions along the lines of the Treasury model is held by the Department.
	The single transfer model (STM) and building cost model (BCM) are accessible to local authorities and used by them to model their assumptions about the value of the stock based on estimates of expenditure on repairs and improvements that need to be carried out over a 30 year period. Local authorities submit these models to the Department as part of either a large scale voluntary transfer or arms length management organisation application respectively.
	If the hon. Gentleman is referring to a model of housing stock conditions held by the Department, the condition of the housing stock is monitored through the English House Condition Survey and from social landlords' own estimates provided through their statistical returns. The English House Condition Survey data collection methods, along with the information on how it is compiled to report results, are published along with the data itself on an annual basis.

Housing: Temporary Accommodation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to help those living in hostels who are ready to move on to more permanent settled accommodation.

Iain Wright: My Department is involved in a range of initiatives to help people move on from hostels. Homeless Link's Move On Plans Protocol (MOPP) will provide local authorities with a better understanding of move on need and allow them to overcome a range of barriers through formal partnerships with the voluntary sector. Broadway's Real Letting project aims to promote improved access to the private rented sector for hostel residents. The Transitional Spaces Project will tackle low turnaround of single people in hostels by providing a 'work first' model to improve access to employment and private rented sector housing.
	The key outcome of our £90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme will be to increase the number of people who move on positively from a hostel to a job or training and a settled home.

Local Authorities: Non-Profit Making Associations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's initiatives to encourage local authorities to support social enterprise; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government recognise the current and potential role of social enterprises and the wider third sector. One of the key strands in the National Procurement Strategy for Local Government (October 2003) was to encourage councils to work with the third sector. A final report setting out the achievements of local government against the strategy is due to be published later this year.
	Local Enterprise Growth Initiative bids in both rounds one and two featured proposals around social enterprise. A feasibility study into a possible evaluation is currently under way.
	The comprehensive spending review announced our future public service agreements (PSAs). Through PSA "Delivery Agreement 21: Build more cohesive, empowered and active communities", the subset of six indicators includes measurement of a thriving third sector of which social enterprise is part. Through this indicator we will measure an index of regular formal volunteering and the number of full-time equivalent staff the third sector employs.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the letter of 16 July 2007 from the hon. Member for Fareham on the strategic gap between Portchester and Fareham.

Iain Wright: A reply was to the hon. Member on 10 August 2007.

Mortgages

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of outstanding mortgages which are sub-prime.

Iain Wright: The Department has not made an estimate of the number and proportion of outstanding mortgages which are sub-prime mortgages.

Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which planning applications the Minister for Planning in her Department has  (a) called in,  (b) resolved not to call in,  (c) approved and  (d) refused (i) between 15 May 2006 and 27 June 2007 and (ii) since 27 June;
	(2)  if she will list the planning applications that she has personally  (a) called in,  (b) resolved not to call in,  (c) approved and  (d) refused since 27 June.

Iain Wright: I have today placed in the Libraries of the House the following tables:
	Table (A)—a list of all planning applications that were called in for decision by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government between 15 May 2006 and 27 June 2007.
	Table (B)—a list of all planning applications that were considered by the relevant Government office but were decided not to be called in for decision by the Secretary of State between 15 May 2006 and 27 June 2007
	Table (C)—a list of all planning applications that were called in for decision by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government since 27 June 2007.
	Table (D)—a list of all planning applications that were considered by the relevant Government office but were decided not to be called in for decision by the Secretary of State since 27 June 2007
	Table (E)—a list of all planning applications decided by the Secretary of State between 15 May 2006 and 27 June 2007, showing whether the application was approved or refused.
	Table (F)—a list of all planning applications decided by the Secretary of State since 27 June 2007, showing whether the application was approved or refused.
	Regardless of whether the Secretary of State herself or a planning Minister on her behalf makes a particular decision, all decisions related to calling in and determination of planning applications are made in the name of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Planning: Public Participation

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase local involvement in the planning process; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In the White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future (CM 7120) and associated documents, we set out a number of proposals for improving the responsiveness and efficiency of the planning system while maintaining or enhancing the delivery of other objectives, including the involvement of communities in planning decisions.
	For example, the proposals for nationally significant infrastructure projects would involve the public at every stage: on the development of national policy; on project proposals as they are being developed; and at the inquiry stage.
	Our proposed changes to the Local Development Framework system aim to ensure both a more streamlined and tailored process and a more meaningful, engaged level of community involvement.
	Community involvement will also be an important component of Planning Performance Agreements—a new way to manage large scale major planning applications.
	The Government are also providing a grant of £1.7 million in 2007-08 to Planning Aid. This is for the provision of free and independent professional advice to groups and individuals who need to engage in the planning system but who cannot afford to pay for such advice.

Polytunnels: Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has given to local planning authorities on planning permission for polytunnels; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Chief Planner in Communities and Local Government wrote to all local planning authorities on the issue of polytunnels on 25 July 2007. The letter was prompted by concern among several local planning authorities about the planning status of polytunnels following a High Court judgment in December 2006. The purpose of the letter was to clarify the Government's understanding of the situation, to remind local planning authorities of their existing powers on enforcement and of existing planning policy contained in "Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas"

Prisons: Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether planning permission is required for the docking and location of a prison ship.

Iain Wright: Whether planning permission is required will depend on whether the proposed activity or new use of land would amount to "development". Development is defined in section 55(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as
	"the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change of use of buildings or other land."
	Planning permission is required for any of these forms of development, unless the section specifically exempts it.
	It may be that locating a prison ship where there wasn't one previously would amount to development on the grounds either that it would be a material change of use of the land where it is docked or that it might involve operational development. However, it would be for the local planning authority to determine this based on the particular circumstances of a proposal.

Rough Sleepers

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology is used to distinguish migrant rough sleepers from A2 and A8 countries from tourists for the purposes of rough sleeping counts.

Iain Wright: The Department's methodology for local authority rough sleeper street counts, "Guidance on evaluating the extent of rough sleeping (2007 Revision)" has a definition of rough sleeping for the purposes of inclusion on local authority street counts. This is
	"People sleeping, or bedded down, in the open air (such as on streets, or in doorways, parks or bus shelters); people in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations, or 'bashes')."
	Only people fitting this definition are included in rough sleeper counts and this would include migrant rough sleepers from A2 and A8 countries. If there is doubt about whether to include an individual, then the local authority will make a decision based on an assessment of the circumstances. This might cover, for example, people sleeping away from campsites who might be homeless but who could be tourists, or people sleeping in transport stations without bedding.

Temporary Accommodation: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been provided by her Department on charging for entry to homeless shelters.

Iain Wright: The Department has not issued any guidance on charging for entry to homeless shelters. Charging is a matter for those voluntary organisations which run shelters and hostels for the homeless.

Vehicles: Fires

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many deliberate road vehicle fires there were in England in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: There were 40,335 deliberate road vehicle fires in England in 2005 (the latest calendar year for which detailed fire statistics have been published) reported by the fire and rescue service. These incidents included 33,090 deliberate car fires and 7,245 deliberate fires involving other road vehicles.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women who attended a British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) consultation centre were refused an abortion against the criteria in the Abortion Act 1967 in the last 12 months; what guidance his Department has provided to BPAS on the interpretation of section 1 of that Act; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally. The Department has not issued any guidance to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service on the interpretation of section 1 of the Abortion Act 1967. It is a matter for two doctors to agree, in good faith, whether there are grounds for an abortion under the Act.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the research referred to on page 3 of his Department's document Reforming Emergency Care: First steps to a new approach, published on 25 October 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: The research on page 3 of "Reforming Emergency Care" refers to bed occupancy. Our understanding is that there were two particular pieces of work on bed occupancy, which helped to inform policy development at that time.
	Firstly, research into the relationship between bed occupancy and the management of elective and emergency pressures was set out in a report of the Emergency Services Action Team in 1997 "Report to the Chief Executive on winter pressures". The report was published under the cover of an Executive Letter (MISC 97/62), which followed the guidance on Access to Secondary Care Services set out in Executive Letter (EL 97/42). A copy of the report has been placed in the Library and both executive letters have also been placed in the Library.
	Secondly, work was commissioned on bed occupancy modelling. The work by Bagust, A et al "Dynamics of bed use in accommodating emergency admissions: stochastic simulation model" (1999) refers to similar bed occupancy rates as those cited in "Reforming Emergency Care". A copy has been placed in the Library.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many under 14 year olds were treated for alcohol-related health problems in each county in the East of England region in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  All diagnoses count of finished consultant episodes for under 14-year-olds with alcohol specific conditions in the eastern region of England, by strategic health authority (SHA) national health service hospitals, 2005-06 
			   SHA of treatment  Finished  consultant episodes  (FCE) 
			 Q1 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 31 
			 Q2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 19 
			 Q3 Essex SHA 30 
			  Total 80 
			  Notes: All diagnoses count of episodes. These figures represent a count of all FCE where the diagnosis was mentioned in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in a HES record. F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol K70 Alcoholic liver disease T51 Toxic effect of alcohol.  FCE An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES).

Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on treatment and rehabilitation of people outside the criminal justice system who were dependent on alcohol in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project published in November 2005, found that in 2003-04, a total of £217 million was being invested by the national health service and local authorities in specialist alcohol treatment and 63,000 people received treatment in that year for alcohol-related disorders.

Broomfield Hospital: Private Finance Initiative

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which individuals and organisations other than civil servants and NHS bodies have  (a) made written representations to and  (b) had meetings with Ministers about the Broomfield Hospital private finance initiative scheme in the last four years.

Ben Bradshaw: There have been six representations from members of the public about the Mid Essex Hospitals Private Finance Initiative (PFI) according to the Department's correspondence database, in addition to two letters from the hon. Member about the Trust's PFI scheme. However, prior to the current database going live in 2005 the previous databases have been archived, therefore the costs of searching these old database would be disproportionate.
	The hon. Member has also tabled eight parliamentary questions on the Mid Essex Hospital PFI scheme.

Chorley and South Ribble Hospital

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress on the development of the new clinical assessment treatment and support centre at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

Ben Bradshaw: In terms of the development of Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support (CATS) services in Chorley as part of the phase 2 independent sector procurement in the North West, the Department is currently working with the national health service to review the specifications of the remaining schemes in phase 2 of the central procurement process. This will ensure that future schemes best meet the needs of the local NHS, and are responsive to the needs of the communities in which they will operate. This exercise is ongoing, and expected to be completed in October. Once this process is complete, and all parties involved in negotiations have been informed of the outcomes, further information will be made available.
	Following Central Lancashire primary care trust's (PCT) receipt of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's (LTH) CATS written proposal for South Ribble, LTH and the PCT met on 10 October so that LTH could formally present their proposal to the PCT. A detailed review of this proposal is now being undertaken by the PCT with the outcome expected in mid-November. Formal confirmation to LTH will then follow. What the PCT has seen to date has been very encouraging.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has for further medical and scientific research into the cause or causes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis;
	(2)  what medical research his Department has funded into the cause or causes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, North (Bill Etherington) on 3 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1009W.

Dental Health: Children

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the health of the teeth of schoolchildren since Gateway Approval (ref 769800) was issued and the practice of negative permission was discontinued; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We are in no doubt that positive consent is required for school dental inspections. The first epidemiology programme since the issue of our guidance on discontinuing negative positive consent will be the five-year-old children's dental health survey to be conducted in England in 2007-08. The North West Dental Public Health Observatory is managing the survey on behalf of the other regional observatories and will assess the impact use of positive consent has on the results. In addition, the oral health unit within the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre at Manchester university, funded by the Department, is undertaking a randomised controlled trial to identify the most effective way of improving consent for national health service epidemiological surveys.

Dental Services: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists doing NHS work were practising in East Lancashire in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001 and  (c) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Numbers of national health service dentists are available for Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 in Annex E of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006. These PCTs merged to form East Lancashire PCT on 1 October 2006.
	The information in this report is based on the old contractual arrangements. This report is available in the Library and is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	Numbers of NHS dentists at strategic health authority (SHA) and PCT level in England as at 31 March 2007 are available in Table El of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07 report. This is the most recent period for which figures are available. Information is available for East Lancashire PCT.
	This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607
	The inclusion of dentists on trust led contracts in the data collection following the 2006 reforms means that data collected since April 2006 cannot be directly compared with data collected under the previous system.
	In both reports, no account is taken of the level of service, if any, that each dentist provides. Both reports have been published by The Information Centre for health and social care.

Dental Services: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists were employed under  (a) general dental service contracts and  (b) personal dental service contracts in each year since 1997; and how many general dental services and personal dental services dentists there were per 10,000 population (i) for England and (ii) in each strategic health authority area in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Numbers of national health service dentists in England as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006". Table 4 of this report includes information by contract type, including those on general dental services (GDS), personal dental services (PDS) contracts and those who have both a GDS and PDS contract.
	This report has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006.
	Numbers of NHS dentists per 10,000 of population are not published. Statistical convention is to publish NHS dental workforce figures per 100,000 of population and these numbers are available for England at primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) level as at 31 March 2007 in table El of Annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07" report. This is the most recent period for which figures are available.
	This report has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607.
	The inclusion of dentists on trust led contracts in the data collection following the 2006 reforms means that data collected since April 2006 cannot be directly compared with data collected under the previous system.

Dental Services: Pupils

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will reverse his decision on consent for dental screening epidemiological surveys for school children to enable the scheme to operate on a parental opt-out basis; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: No, the legal advice we have received is that parents/carers should give positive consent where children are not judged competent to give consent to a dental examination. We are optimistic that statistically significant results can be obtained when surveys are conducted on this basis.

Dental Services: Standards

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in  (a) England and  (b) each primary care trust area have been required to pay back money to their primary care trust because they could not complete the number of units of dental activity required by their NHS contracts.

Ann Keen: Providers of national health service dental services have contracts with primary care trusts (PCTs) that set out the agreed annual contract sum and the corresponding level of services to be provided over the course of the year. These annual service levels are expressed mainly in terms of units of dental activity, which measure courses of treatment according to their relative complexity. Dental providers who under-deliver by up to 4 per cent. may carry this forward and make up the activity in the following year. Where a provider has delivered less than 96 per cent. of the agreed annual service level, it is at the PCT's discretion whether the undelivered activity is carried forward to the following year or an appropriate proportion of the annual contract sum is refunded to the PCT. This is a matter for PCTs to decide locally in the light of individual circumstances, and their decisions are not collected or held centrally.

Dental Services: Standards

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in  (a) England and  (b) each primary care trust area have completed (i) 96 per cent. and (ii) 100 per cent. of the number of units of dental activity in their NHS contracts.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the form requested.
	Information on the total units of dental activity delivered in 2006-07 at England, strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) level is contained in "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006". This report is available in the Library.
	The Dental Services Division (DSD) of the NHS Business Services Authority holds data on dental activity provided under national health service dental contracts, together with information provided by PCTs on the levels of activity commissioned for each contract. However, the DSD does not routinely publish these data. Following a freedom of information request, the DSD expect to make a comparison of the two data items for 2006-07 available by the end of this month. This will provide information by contract broken down by SHA area. This information will be placed in the Library once available.

Dental Services: Waiting Lists

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time in England for orthodontic appointments was for the  (a) first consultation and  (b) start of treatment in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the national target times are in each case.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for national health service orthodontic treatment provided in primary care.
	Information is available on average hospital waiting times from referral to first out-patient appointment, and from decision to admit to hospital admission, both day case and in-patient. The latest period for which data is available is June 2007. The average waiting time for a first out-patient appointment in this period was 3.6 weeks, and 6.7 weeks for admission.
	The NHS operating standard of no more than 13 weeks to first out-patient consultation, and 26 weeks to admission applies to orthodontics delivered in secondary care.
	By the end of 2008, the maximum wait for any medical or surgical consultant led treatment, including orthodontic treatment, will be just 18 weeks from initial referral to start of treatment for all patients who want it and for whom it is clinically appropriate.

Departments: Consultants

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stakeholders regularly consulted by his Department are known to take a  (a) pro-life and  (b) pro-choice position on abortion-related issues; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected by the Department.

Drugs: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the problem of counterfeit drugs in the NHS supply chain; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is concerned about the increase in the number of counterfeit medicines discovered in the United Kingdom regulated supply chain. Since August 2004, counterfeit medicines have been discovered in the UK regulated supply chain and recalled on nine occasions. In addition, counterfeit medicines have been discovered at wholesale-dealer level on five separate occasions.
	Although this represents a very small percentage of medicines supplied nationally, MHRA is developing a strategy which will address the risks to patient safety posed by counterfeit medicines and introduce measures to minimise the risk of counterfeit products reaching patients through both the regulated and unregulated supply chains. The strategy will be published later this year.

Avastin

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy that Avastin eye injections should be available on the NHS free of charge to  (a) all patients and  (b) pensioners who require them; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Avastin has not been licensed for use in macular degeneration. However, the law allows the use of either unlicensed medicines or the prescribing of a licensed medicinal product "off-label"—that is outside the terms of its marketing authorisation in order to meet special clinical needs. Such prescriptions are subject to the individual clinician's judgment and are on the personal responsibility of the prescriber, and subject to funding by the primary care trust.

Food: Labelling

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many proposed claims have been submitted to the Food Standards Agency for consideration for authorisation for use on products under the provisions of Article 13 of the Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Food Regulations; if he will give a breakdown of that total by the major categories of the substance to which those claims refer, including  (a) macronutrients,  (b) vitamins and minerals,  (c) botanical ingredients and  (d) other substances.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency is currently processing submissions under the Article 13 process and estimates that between 1,500-2,000 claims have been submitted. The exact number, and breakdown by category and substance will only be known when all the submissions have been assessed, and any duplications taken into account.

Food: Labelling

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that the Food Standards Agency assists manufacturers submitting applications for authorisation of claims under the Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Food Regulations to support those applications through the authorisation process; and what steps the agency intends to take to support small and medium sized businesses involved in this process.

Dawn Primarolo: Health claims must be substantiated by scientific evidence, and be well understood by the average consumer. The substantiating science is to be assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Authorisation of the claims will then be by joint decision of the Commission and member states in the appropriate regulatory committee. The Food Standards Agency will support claims that comply with the necessary criteria and will push to ensure that the requirement in the regulation that the Commission and EFSA make available technical guidance and tools to assist small and medium sized businesses in the preparation and presentation of an application is fulfilled.

Food: Labelling

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when officials of the Food Standards Agency last met representatives of  (a) manufacturers of specialist herbal food supplements and  (b) specialist health food retailers to discuss the submission of claims under the nutrition and health claims made on food regulations.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency last met with representatives of manufacturers of specialist herbal food supplements and specialist health food retailers on 15 August 2007.

General Medical Council: Disciplinary Proceedings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department has issued to ensure that complete independence and objectivity apply to all General Medical Council disciplinary hearings; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: No guidelines have been issued by the Department in relation to the independence and objectivity of General Medical Council (GMC) fitness to practise hearings.
	In 2004, the GMC introduced a package of reforms to its fitness to practise procedures that included changes to the adjudication process.
	Key aspects of the changes included:
	the separation of functions between investigation and adjudication;
	GMC Council members no longer have any role in fitness to practise casework and decision-making; and
	fitness to practise panels are populated by a pool of medical and lay panellists. All panellists are appointed against competencies and the recruitment and appointment process is overseen by independent assessors from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
	All panellists must receive training on the GMC's fitness to practice procedures before they are eligible to sit on a panel. The GMC introduced Indicative Sanctions Guidance in 2001. This provides guidance to panellists on the factors that they should consider in determining the appropriate sanction in each case. The medical and lay panellists appointed to sit on the panels exercise their own judgments in making decisions, but must take into consideration the standards of good practice the GMC has established which have been drawn up after wide consultation and which reflect what society expects of doctors.

General Practitioners: Rents

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 285W, on general practitioners: rents, who is responsible for monitoring compliance with Direction 48.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts have responsibility for the administration and monitoring of the national health service (General Medical Services—Premises Costs) (England) Directions 2004, including Direction 48.

Health Professions: Manpower

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses were employed in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: This information requested is not held in the format requested. Data are not collected at borough or primary care trust (PCT) level, as doctors and nurses work in both national health service trusts and PCTs, and some NHS trusts serve across borders.
	However, the following table shows the amount of doctors and nurses employed in London since 1997 at strategic health authority (SHA) level.
	
		
			  NHS doctors and qualified nurses in the London strategic health authority area, 1997  to  2006 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 All doctors(2,)( )(3) 17,107 17,374 17,846 18,557 19,048 19,872 21,013 22,901 24,034 24,587 
			 HCHS medical and dental staff(2) 12,575 12,859 13,350 14,009 14,503 15,263 16,134 17,827 18,814 19,356 
			 General medical practitioners (excluding retainers)(3) 4,532 4,515 4,496 4,548 4,545 4,609 4,879 5,074 5,220 5,231 
			 All qualified nurses 51,980 52,700 54,302 54,600 58,000 60,638 66,185 68,239 69,102 67,506 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff(1) 49,416 49,868 51,522 51,773 55,259 57,747 63,364 65,333 66,240 64,608 
			 Practice nurses 2,564 2,832 2,780 2,827 2,741 2,891 2,821 2,906 2,862 2,898 
			 (1) More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 9,858 duplicate records being identified and removed from the non medical census. Although this represents less than 1 per cent. of total records, it should be taken into consideration when making historical comparisons. (2) Excludes medical Hospital Practitioners and medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals. (3) GP retainers were first collected in 1999 and have been omitted for comparability purposes.  Note: Data as at 30 September each year (except GP and practice nurse data as at 1 October 1996-1999)  Source: The Information Centre: General and Personal Medical Services; Medical and Dental Workforce Census; Non-medical Workforce Census.

Health Services: Ethnic Groups

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has undertaken into the sufficiency of link worker services connecting health provision and ethnic minority communities in those areas with high ethnic minority populations; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Primary care trusts are receiving £16 million per annum within their baseline funding for the recruitment nationally of 500 community development workers (CDWs) for black and minority ethnic (BME) mental health. CDWs are a vital component of our "Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care" action plan, published in January 2005. A CDW's role is to help build links between local mental health services and their BME communities, so that they can collaborate more closely in the planning and provision of care. The effectiveness of the CDW workforce in meeting its objectives will be evaluated in due course. We do not hold information centrally about the numbers or sufficiency of other local link workers.

Health Services: Pregnancy

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the case for full implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guideline of the assessment and treatment of people with fertility problems if there is a move towards introducing single embryo transfer for selected patients.

Dawn Primarolo: The clinical guideline published in 2004 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended up to three cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) where appropriate. The then Secretary of State made it clear that he expected primary care trusts (PCTs) to move over time to three cycles as recommended. We are aware that most PCTs are providing at least one cycle of IVF and we are working with the patient support organisation Infertility Network UK to help PCTs share best practice in the provision of fertility services and move to the NICE recommendations. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is considering the outcome of its public consultation on multiple births after IVF.

Hospital Beds

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) number of beds and  (b) bed category rate was in the NHS (i) in total and (ii) broken down by bed occupancy in (A) England and (B) each strategic health authority area in each year from 1997-98 to 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Hospital Beds: Paediatrics

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average bed occupancy rate was for paediatric units at district general hospitals in England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The data are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Average occupancy rate (occupied/available beds x 100 per cent.) of neonate and paediatric beds for England during 2006-07 for intensive care beds, general and acute beds, and for intensive care and general and acute beds combined 
			   Occupancy rates ( Percentage ) 
			  Neonate and paediatrics  
			 Intensive care beds 74.18 
			 General and acute beds 62.35 
			 Intensive care and general and acute beds combined 64.60

Hospitals: Admissions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age for hospital admissions was in England for the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The average mean age of patients on admission in national health service hospitals in England for 2005-06 was 47.3 years.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the policy of deep cleaning NHS wards, as stated in his Department's press release of 25 September 2007, entitled Johnson crackdown on cleanliness and infections; what methodology was used to estimate the cost of deep cleaning at £50 million; which organisations will undertake the evaluation of the first programme of deep cleaning, and at what cost to the public purse; whether the deep cleaning of NHS wards will be mandatory for all NHS organisations which operate wards; when he expects the deep cleaning of NHS wards to happen; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Government consider that high standards of cleanliness should be provided by the national health service.
	A higher score on the annual Patient Environment Action Team assessments is significantly correlated with lower rates of Methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and  Clostridium difficile, although this is unlikely to be a direct relationship. Links between infection and cleanliness vary according to the specific micro-organism involved, and high standards of hygiene are likely to have a greater effect on  Clostridium difficile rates, for instance, than on MRSA.
	Even for those micro-organisms where the environment has less impact, it is still important that hospitals are kept clean. Patients consistently rate cleanliness as one of their highest priorities for the NHS.
	The figure of £50 million is an indicative amount. The final amount will depend on the needs of each hospital, which will inevitably vary. Strategic health authorities (SHAs) will work with their primary care trusts to commission deep cleaning at a locally-agreed cost, and to monitor total spend in their areas. Performance management and evaluation will also be carried out locally.
	The deep cleaning programme is an important part of our work in relation to health care associated infections, and will therefore be targeted towards acute trusts. However, all hospitals should be clean, and SHAs have the discretion to include other hospitals, including mental health and learning disability units.
	Deep cleaning is time consuming and can be disruptive. Dependent on the approach taken, it may be necessary to close wards or bays. For most trusts, this will take months, rather than weeks. We expect that the majority of activity will be complete by year-end.

Hospitals: Manpower

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken in the last two years on the  (a) minimum size and  (b) staffing needs of (i) an accident and emergency unit and (ii) a maternity unit in order to meet the August 2009 requirements of the European Working Time Directive; what cost to the public purse he expects to arise from meeting those requirements; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Local national health service trusts are responsible for implementing the European Working Time Directive (WTD) as part of their health and safety obligations. Strategic health authorities and the Department offer support with WTD planning. The Department is sponsoring NHS National Workforce Projects (NWPs) to support local implementation of WTD 2009. NHS NWPs has commissioned a range of pilots including cooperative solutions, team working, handover and escalation and 24:7 working (which include accident and emergency and maternity units). The pilots take in a wide variety of organisations to look at solutions which are transferable across the NHS. There is ongoing evaluation of the pilots to share lessons learned as early as possible.

Hospitals: Personnel

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance there is for NHS staff to relocate to work in alternative healthcare facilities in the event of the closure or downgrading of district hospitals.

Ann Keen: Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.
	Assistance with expenses incurred as a result of any relocation arising from a reconfiguration proposal are determined locally in consultation with staff representatives.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccinations

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that young women who left school in summer 2007 before the human papilloma virus vaccination programme was introduced have access to this vaccination on the NHS;
	(2)  what decision has been made by his Department regarding a catch-up campaign for the human papilloma virus vaccine for females aged between 12 to 26 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has agreed, in principle, to accept Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice that human papilloma virus vaccines should be introduced routinely for girls aged around 12 to 13 years, subject to independent peer review of the cost-benefit analysis.
	A detailed analysis is being carried out by the JCVI regarding the cost-benefit analysis, and this work is being externally peer reviewed to ensure its robustness. The Department will consider the issue when the advice from JCVI is available.

Infant Foods

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Department has taken to restrict the promotion of breast milk substitutes.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to look at ways of further restricting the promotion of breast milk substitutes within the United Kingdom regulations stemming from the European Union directive on infant and follow-on formula. The draft regulations issued for public consultation on 2 July ended on 28 September. Comments received from the stakeholders are being collated and evaluated by the FSA. Stakeholders' comments will then be published together with the FSA's responses. The FSA also intends to consult in the near future on the accompanying draft guidance notes. The directive requires that regulations come into force on 1 January 2008.

Internet: Finance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of the NHS Choices website has been since its establishment.

Ben Bradshaw: To date, £7.9 million has been spent on the design, development and operation of the website.

Maternity Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many roadside births have taken place  (a) in England and  (b) in each primary care trust area in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Medical Treatments: Arthritis

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to ensure that the full range of biologics is available to patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Ann Keen: holding answer 15 October 2007
	All primary care trusts in England and Wales are obliged to fund, from general allocations, drug therapies for those patients with rheumatoid arthritis who meet the clinical guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

MRSA: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA were reported in  (a) each London hospital and  (b) each London primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available as requested. The mandatory surveillance of methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in England applies to national health service acute trusts only. Data on primary care trusts are not compiled.
	Since April 2001, trusts in England have reported all cases of MRSA bacteraemias (bloodstream infections), to the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Data covering the period April 2002 to March 2007 were published on 25 July 2007. The data for those trusts in London are summarised in the following table.
	
		
			  MRSA bacteraemias; London (that is within London strategic health authority: April 2002 to March 2007) 
			  April to March each year:  Number of bacteraemias 
			 2002-03 1,707 
			 2003-04 1,682 
			 2004-05 1,392 
			 2005-06 1,320 
			 2006-07 1,205 
			  Source: HPA

NHS: Ancillary Staff

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) caretakers,  (b) hospital porters and  (c) cleaners were employed by each London Primary Care Trust in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held in the format requested. However, the following table shows the amount of non-medical staff employed in London since 1997 at strategic health authority (SHA) level.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: maintenance and works staff and support workers in the hotel, property and estates area of work in the London strategic health authority area as at 30 September each specified year 
			   Headcount 
			 1997 6,266 
			 1998 5,494 
			 1999 5,468 
			 2000 5,064 
			 2001 5,124 
			 2002 5,189 
			 2003 5,318 
			 2004 5,631 
			 2005 5,768 
			 2006 4,827 
			  Notes: 1. These figures are for staff directly employed by the NHS only. The Non-Medical Workforce Census does not cover contracted services staff. Maintenance and works and support staff in hotel, property and estates include caretakers/handypersons, gardeners and grounds, maintenance staff, catering staff and cleaning staff. There is no way to separately identify any of these occupations from the census data. 2. More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total work force figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures. This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends overtime.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the gateway reviews of the NHS IT programme.

Ben Bradshaw: We have no current plans to do so. The Gateway review reports are intended to help and inform the management of the programme and the Department's own decisions. They are not intended for publication.
	More generally, the Government believe that the prospect of disclosure of any Gateway review would restrain the frankness and candour with which participants engage in the Gateway process, and that this in turn would undermine its effectiveness and the quality of recommendations arising. Gateway reviews perform an important role in ensuring that public authorities are using their resources in an efficient and effective way and there is therefore a strong and vital public interest in maintaining their efficacy.

NHS: Leave

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rules or guidelines his Department has in place governing the length of time that NHS employees are allowed to take paid leave on  (a) compassionate and  (b) other grounds; what the overall maximum period is for which paid leave will be given; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The position on paid leave is outlined in the terms and conditions for particular staff groups and depends on time served and individual circumstances.
	For medical staff the "National Health Service Hospital Medical and Dental Staff and Doctors in Public Health Medicine and the Community Health Service (England and Wales)", and the "Terms and Conditions of Service for Consultants (England) 2003" have been placed in the Library and are also available at:
	www.nhsemployers.org/pay-conditions/pay-conditions-348.cfm
	For non-medical staff the "Agenda for Change NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook", has been placed in the Library and also available at:
	www.nhsemployers.org/pay-conditions/pay-conditions-198.cfm

NHS: Reorganisation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy that all consultations on NHS service reconfiguration will contain as one option the retention of services in their existing configuration;
	(2)  what research his Department has conducted into the impact of relocation or closure of hospital services on patient access to healthcare facilities in areas with disproportionately high numbers of elderly residents;
	(3)  whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the impact on local economies of closing district general hospitals.

Ann Keen: The Department of Health has not undertaken specific research into the relocation of local health care services.
	Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.
	The recently published interim report on the NHS Next Stage Review makes it clear that no major service change should happen except on the basis of need and sound clinical evidence.

NHS: Temporary Employment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of staffing costs were spent on agency staff in each London primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Trust code  Trust name  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 5A4 Havering Primary Care Trust (PCT) 9.23 13.51 11.61 11.84 10.99 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 6.05 8.35 8.48 5.62 5.23 
			 5A6 Teddington, Twickenham and Hamptons PCT 8.65 — — — — 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 3.94 5.26 5.80 4.89 3.80 
			 5A8 Greenwich PCT 2.83 2.91 9.12 6.39 6.39 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 6.41 8.73 9.11 8.72 7.67 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 1.64 4.26 7.89 7.19 3.05 
			 5AX Bexley PCT 4.37 3.57 — — — 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 8.50 10.38 10.16 9.33 6.25 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 6.67 7.89 10.33 8.42 8.86 
			 5C3 City and Hackney PCT 14.20 14.92 12.73 12.45 14.48 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 9.71 9.30 10.30 9.82 8.60 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 8.06 9.18 8.20 7.95 6.05 
			 5C6 Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone PCT 8.40 16.13 — — — 
			 5C8 Redbridge PCT 5.84 7.25 — — — 
			 5C9 Haringey PCT — 10.36 10.90 13.89 7.70 
			 5A4 Havering PCT — 9.23 13.51 11.61 11.84 
			 5C7 Chingford, Wanstead and Woodford PCT — 15.55 — — — 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT — 7.65 13.74 7.54 3.40 
			 5HX Ealing PCT — 11.49 13.74 11.52 10.54 
			 5HY Hounslow PCT — 12.40 9.71 7.18 7.51 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT — 20.23 15.52 16.62 10.88 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT — 3.47 2.25 2.64 2.14 
			 5K7 Camden PCT — 15.10 15.65 16.42 10.39 
			 5K8 Islington PCT — 21.23 14.23 15.37 8.89 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT — 11.14 11.41 9.62 5.33 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT — 16.54 32.77 11.88 7.90 
			 5LC Westminster PCT — 17.60 17.38 6.59 5.05 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT — 18.19 14.60 11.24 9.90 
			 5LE Southwark PCT — 6.94 7.20 9.75 8.26 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT — 6.12 6.10 6.59 6.22 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT — 9.80 8.90 7.07 4.57 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT — 11.75 10.79 11.81 7.03 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT — 5.20 6.40 7.69 4.92 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT — — 12.99 12.49 11.31 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT — — 14.37 11.66 10.59 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust — — 3.73 4.65 0.00 
			  Source: PCT financial returns 2001-02 to 2005-06

NHS: Temporary Employment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on agency staff by each NHS trust in London in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Trust type  Code  Name  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Trust RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 13,604,955 15,461,613 10,954,848 10,407,000 8,157,000 
			 Trust RAN The Royal Nat Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 2,496,228 1,840,908 3,013,198 3,066,000 1,924,000 
			 Trust RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 4,800,349 5,741,399 5,204,896 4,240,000 3,450,000 
			 Trust RAS The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 3,833,204 5,168,414 3,923,783 2,834,000 2,377,000 
			 Trust RAT North East London Mental Health NHS Trust 9,000,287 13,903,994 15,382,515 12,699,000 11,883,000 
			 Trust RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 7,224,006 7,525,363 8,161,046 4,410,000 4,146,000 
			 Trust RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 5,832,333 4,509,789 3,555,379 3,966,000 3,239,500 
			 Trust RDA Parkside NHS Trust 7,527,191 — — — — 
			 Trust RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital NHS Trust 13,264,970 16,631,937 13,438,178 14,030,000 11,470,000 
			 Trust RFW West Middlesex University NHS Trust 4,218,483 5,889,792 4,371,485 2,978,000 2,090,000 
			 Trust RFX Hounslow and Spelthorne Community and Mental Health Trust 5,219,677 — — — — 
			 Trust RG2 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 5,641,266 5,367,156 3,945,481 1,743,000 1,462,000 
			 Trust RG3 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 9,031,691 8,587,813 9,563,113 8,605,000 5,250,000 
			 Trust RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 12,706,456 15,363,589 13,773,048 14,604,000 12,676,000 
			 Trust RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 1,553,360 1,551,625 1,701,035 1,924,000 1,859,000 
			 Trust RHB Camden and Islington Community Health NHS Trust 6,533,615 — — — — 
			 Trust RJ1 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust 30,364,312 29,705,544 25,171,131 25,941,000 24,589,000 
			 Trust RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 5,272,527 4,739,987 5,552,729 6,121,000 4,079,000 
			 Trust RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 16,097,781 18,644,502 16,969,989 16,175,000 12,124,000 
			 Trust RJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 6,995,413 4,284,696 6,198,692 7,080,000 5,740,000 
			 Trust RJ7 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 12,005,192 13,371,348 13,760,315 13,288,000 9,273,000 
			 Trust FUZ King's College Hospital NHS Trust 15,091,926 16,277,799 10,116,582 8,829,000 7,344,000 
			 Trust RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 6,669,932 8,534,065 7,395,383 6,081,000 4,883,000 
			 Trust RKL West London Mental Health NHS Trust 6,011,659 8,755,691 10,433,356 6,877,000 6,365,000 
			 Trust RNH Newham Healthcare NHS Trust 8,515,572 10,936,321 9,714,522 6,654,000 4,756,000 
			 Trust RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 16,705,717 17,756,830 13,930,839 12,623,000 10,798,000 
			 Trust RNK Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust 428,145 483,647 521,980 488,000 747,000 
			 Trust RP4 Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust 6,981,457 7,123,977 7,072,106 6,026,000 4,500,000 
			 Trust RP6 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust 2,097,130 2,409,575 2,916,818 3,055,000 3,387,000 
			 Trust RPG Oxleas NHS Trust 4,463,392 4,583,905 4,845,467 3,835,000 3,493,000 
			 Trust RPY The Royal Marsden NHS Trust 6,016,314 6,486,700 7,277,656 7,147,000 4,390,000 
			 Trust RQK Harrow and Hillingdon Healthcare NHS Trust 2,412,876 — — — — 
			 Trust RQM Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare Trust 5,924,034 15,393,752 5,159,421 6,408,000 5,846,000 
			 Trust RQN Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 17,314,250 23,267,019 26,489,845 17,698,000 11,668,000 
			 Trust RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust 8,263,101 9,336,033 9,704,632 10,076,000 10,074,000 
			 Trust RQY South West London and St. George's Mental Health Trust 10,172,640 10,515,594 17,324,397 22,301,000 13,722,000 
			 Trust RRP Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust 7,226,801 6,192,881 6,948,524 7,450,000 6,130,000 
			 Trust RRQ Camden and Islington Mental Health NHS Trust 9,411,238 — — — — 
			 Trust RRU London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 1,230,256 1,634,950 2,395,090 2,201,000 2,188,000 
			 Trust RRV University College London Hospital NHS Trust 20,466,581 20,673,155 17,399,310 13,752,000 12,631,000 
			 Trust RT3 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust 4,516,185 3,816,947 3,347,366 2,481,000 2,405,000 
			 Trust RV3 Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust 6,813,917 8,957,955 8,546,822 8,306,000 8,234,000 
			 Trust RV4 Community Health South London NHS Trust 6,604,586 — — — — 
			 Trust RV5 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust 21,139,705 20,345,552 17,689,185 19,051,000 19,007,000 
			 Trust RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 9,784,744 11,674,257 11,890,747 9,541,000 7,245,000 
			 Trust RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 9,088,160 10,086,102 11,193,797 7,763,000 5,671,000 
			 Trust RVM South West London Community NHS Trust 4,762,754 — — — — 
			 Trust RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 12,725,023 6,623,636 4,048,599 3,085,000 3,263,000 
			 Trust RWK East London and The City Mental Health NHS Trust 4,571,296 5,409,207 6,599,827 7,122,000 5,961,000 
			 Trust TAP Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust — 10,007,932 7,806,406 3,787,000 4,173,000 
			 PCT 5A4 Havering Primary Care Trust (PCT) 1,784,029 3,306,431 3,013,630 3,702,000 3,672,000 
			 PCT 5A5 Kingston PCT 969,000 1,476,730 1,615,253 1,216,000 1,241,000 
			 PCT 5A6 Teddington, Twickenham and Hamptons PCT 487,529 — — — — 
			 PCT 5A7 Bromley PCT 911,818 1,350,841 1,657,347 1,669,000 1,314,000 
			 PCT 5A8 Greenwich PCT 420,566 489,243 1,789,062 1,515,000 1,739,000 
			 PCT 5A9 Barnet PCT 1,726,987 2,634,645 2,918,939 3,353,000 3,036,000 
			 PCT 5AT Hillingdon PCT 208,313 862,804 2,681,069 2,549,000 1,137,000 
			 PCT SAX Bexley PCT 432,635 420,119 — — — 
			 PCT SCI Enfield PCT 1,410,111 2,324,698 2,613,936 2,880,000 1,996,000 
			 PCT 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 713,693 1,125,298 1,806,601 1,729,000 1,911,000 
			 PCT 5C3 City and Hackney PCT 2,526,148 3,031,913 2,923,475 3,392,000 4,602,000 
			 PCT 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 3,384,549 3,328,811 4,157,185 4,765,000 4,719,000 
			 PCT 5C5 Newham PCT 2,305,881 2,995,782 2,957,327 3,482,000 2,704,000 
			 PCT 5C6 Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone PCT 571,277 1,592,907 — — — 
			 PCT 5C8 Redbridge PCT 450,957 672,965 — — — 
			 PCT 5C9 Haringey PCT 2,059,094 2,657,939 3,532,802 2,479,000 3,703,000 
			 PCT 5NA Redbridge PCT — — 2,314,926 2,551,000 2,404,000 
			 PCT 5NC Waltham Forest PCT — — 2,653,207 2,623,000 2,595,000 
			 PCT TAK Bexley Care Trust — — 577,999 899,000 557,000 
			 PCT 5A4 Havering PCT 1,784,029 3,306,431 3,013,630 3,702,000 3,672,000 
			 PCT 5C7 Chingford, Wanstead and Woodford PCT — 1,747,623 — — — 
			 PCT 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT — 1,829,625 3,297,599 1,906,000 811,000 
			 PCT 5HX Ealing PCT — 3,909,123 4,398,000 4,152,000 4,030,000 
			 PCT 5HY Hounslow PCT — 2,039,203 1,714,000 1,476,000 1,603,000 
			 PCT 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT — 5,826,724 4,805,787 6,645,000 4,684,000 
			 PCT 5K6 Harrow PCT — 794,352 435,540 542,000 470,000 
			 PCT 5K7 Camden PCT — 5,287,134 5,436,895 7,652,000 5,187,000 
			 PCT 5K8 Islington PCT — 7,364,405 3,785,270 4,823,000 3,243,000 
			 PCT 5K9 Croydon PCT — 2,859,539 3,108,035 2,949,000 1,693,000 
			 PCT 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT — 5,087,637 10,022,128 3,934,000 2,749,000 
			 PCT 5LC Westminster PCT — 6,164,170 5,169,353 2,403,000 1,804,000 
			 PCT 5LD Lambeth PCT — 4,445,170 3,898,639 3,795,000 3,646,000 
			 PCT 5LE Southwark PCT — 1,595,273 2,025,498 3,107,000 2,953,000 
			 PCT 5LF Lewisham PCT — 1,906,539 2,097,786 2,620,000 2,689,000 
			 PCT 5LG Wandsworth PCT — 4,185,528 3,934,482 3,688,000 2,424,000 
			 PCT 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT — 1,226,814 1,270,905 1,838,000 1,186,000 
			 PCT 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT — 1,827,001 2,517,461 3,578,000 2,456,000 
			  Source: Trust financial returns 2001-02—2005-06 Foundation trust annual reports (Monitor) 2004-05 and 2005-06 PCT financial returns 2001-02 -2005-06

Paramedical Staff: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) paramedics and  (b) paramedics in training there are in Lancashire; and how many there were in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: Information on the numbers of paramedics in training is not collected centrally. Numbers of paramedics in the North West Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust and predecessor organisations is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 945 
			 2001 966 
			 2002 902 
			 2003 1,037 
			 2004 1,037 
			 2005 1,181 
			 2006 1,175 
			  Note:  In July 2006, Mersey Ambulance Service, Cumbria Ambulance Service, Greater Manchester Ambulance Service and Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trusts merged to form North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many linear accelerators he expects to be available to the NHS in each year of the next 10 years.

Ann Keen: The Department does not routinely collect these data, the acquisition of resources is a matter for local determination based on local needs. However when final deliveries are completed, as part of the recent central procurement, there will be approximately 250 linear accelerators (linacs) installed in national health service trusts in England.
	The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group report published in May 2007 has recommended that more linacs will be needed over the next 10 years. The recommendations in this report are being considered as part of the development of the cancer reform strategy.

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all radiotherapy centres have plans in place to deliver the 4-tier skills mix model.

Ann Keen: All trusts with radiotherapy centres are being encouraged to review their skill mix following the recommendations made by the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) produced in May 2007, however radiotherapy staffing profiles need to be based on local needs and priorities.

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many radiotherapy departments have more than eight linear accelerators.

Ann Keen: Three(1) radiotherapy departments in England have more than eight linear accelerators on site. These are Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Foundation Trust and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. However, we do not hold information on whether all these machines are in routine clinical use. Some of these machines may be used for clinical research, training purposes or used as back up when another machine requires maintenance.
	( 1) Source:
	Health Protection Agency -linear accelerator installed base 2007

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of fractions per linear accelerator was in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by radiotherapy facility.

Ann Keen: In 2005, a radiotherapy equipment survey was carried out by the National Cancer Services Analysis Team. Results from this survey were included in the report of the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group that was published in May 2007.
	As set out in this report 39 out of 48 Trusts with radiotherapy facilities in England responded to the survey. The median radiotherapy centre gave 7,400 fractions per linac and 16 out of the 39 centres delivered more than 8,000 fractions per linac on average. A chart showing the range of productivity across the 39 radiotherapy facilities in England that responded to the survey has been placed in Library.
	The radiotherapy equipment survey has recently been repeated and the updated information is currently being validated. A more up-to-date position should therefore be available by the end of October 2007.

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many linear accelerators were available to the NHS in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what average number of fractions per annum was delivered by each.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data in the format requested, however, the following information might be helpful.
	The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group Report published in May 2007 indicated that there were 215 linear accelerators (linacs) in England in August 2006 and that the median radiotherapy centre gave 7,400 fractions per linac averaged across the centre.
	From the 39 centres out of 48 that responded to a radiotherapy equipment survey in 2004-05 undertaken by the National Cancer Services Analysis team, the annual average fractions per linear accelerator was 7,522. This included all linacs which were recorded as having been in routine clinical use for the whole year and excluded Cobalt units, machines used for backup, and two machines with very low activity levels less than 100 courses.
	The radiotherapy equipment survey has been repeated and results should be available shortly.

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the number of hybrid virtual environments on radiotherapy training sites.

Ann Keen: In May 2007 we announced £5 million of capital funding to support the introduction of virtual skills training facilities to national health service trusts and universities where therapeutic radiography training is undertaken. The National Cancer Director wrote to trusts and universities supporting radiotherapy training on 6 October 2007 inviting them to apply for funding to allow them to procure the facilities.

Waiting Lists: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were for  (a) general surgery,  (b) ear, nose and throat surgery,  (c) neurosurgery,  (d) geriatric medicine and  (e) general medicine in each London primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

TREASURY

Cancer: North East Region

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people  (a) were diagnosed with and  (b) died from (i) cancer and (ii) breast cancer in (A) Jarrow constituency, (B) South Tyneside and (C) the North East in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 October 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people have (a) been diagnosed with and (b) died from (i) cancer and (ii) breast cancer in (A) Jarrow constituency, (B) South Tyneside and (C) the North East in each year since 1997. (156763)
	The latest available figures for (a) newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2004 (England and Wales). Numbers of cases of (i) all cancers and (ii) breast cancer, for the years 1997 to 2004 for (A) Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency, (B) South Tyneside County District and (C) North East Government Office Region are given in Table 1.
	The latest available figures for (b) deaths are for the year 2006. Numbers of deaths from (i) all cancers and (ii) breast cancer, for the years 1997 to 2006 for (A) Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency, (B) South Tyneside County District and (C) North East Government Office Region are given in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1. r egistrations of newly diagnosed cases of all cancers( 1)  and breast cancer( 2) : Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside county district and the north east government office region, 1997-2004 
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North east 
			   All cancers( 1)  Breast( 2)  All cancers( 1)  Breast( 2)  All cancers( 1)  Breast( 2) 
			 1997 452 59 806 102 12,350 1,550 
			 1998 441 43 838 95 12,902 1,691 
			 1999 464 68 856 107 13,071 1,679 
			 2000 454 60 886 119 13,087 1,673 
			 2001 440 53 821 101 13,426 1,731 
			 2002 469 61 860 103 13,558 1,713 
			 2003 454 71 870 130 13,585 1,907 
			 2004 434 58 866 117 13,213 1,974 
			 (1) All cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer: I CD-10 COO-C97 excluding C44. (2) Breast cancer is defined as code C50 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).  Source: Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. number of deaths where cancer( 1) , or breast cancer( 2) , was the underlying cause of death: Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside county district, north east government office region, 1997-2006( 3) 
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North e ast 
			   All cancers( 1)  Breast( 2)  All cancers( 1)  Breast( 2)  All cancers( 1)  Breast( 2) 
			 1997 282 15 531 42 7776 610 
			 1998 280 17 549 39 7901 571 
			 1999 282 20 526 32 7530 545 
			 2000 272 19 522 31 7469 518 
			 2001 278 16 542 34 7811 557 
			 2002 281 21 517 34 7695 515 
			 2003 264 14 526 29 7650 477 
			 2004 263 13 527 26 7629 524 
			 2005 276 13 534 25 7648 553 
			 2006 298 22 485 36 7667 532 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 140-208 for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes COO-C97 for subsequent years. The introduction of ICD-10 means that the numbers of deaths from cancer before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 174-175 for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C50 for subsequent years. The introduction of ICD-10 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Departments: Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will list all accounts directions issued by his Department between 2001-02 and 2005-06;
	(2)  what accounts directions were issued by his Department in financial year  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: Under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 and the Government Trading Fund Act 1973, the Treasury issues accounts directions to Departments, pensions schemes, agencies and trading funds. It also issues directions to a number of other bodies that prepare accounts under different legislation.
	Details of the directions issued by the Treasury under these Acts are detailed in a Dear Accounting Officer (DAO) letter sent to all bodies, the latest such version of which is available on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	Details of the Departments, pensions schemes, agencies and trading funds issued an accounts direction by the Treasury for the years 2001-02 through to 2006-07 have been deposited in the Library of the House.
	Also included are details of those bodies that prepare accounts under legislation other than the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 or the Government Trading Fund Act 1973 that hold an extant direction issued by the Treasury. This list also details a few bodies that prepare their accounts under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 that were omitted from the latest DAO.

Departments: Rents

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what income  (a) his Department and  (b) the Government receive from rental property; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Central Government received income from rental property of £261 million in 2006-07. The Treasury received no income from rental property.

Minimum Wage: Civil Servants

Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees employed by the Government and Government agencies are in receipt of no more than the minimum wage; and if he will list the titles of their posts.

Andy Burnham: This information is not held centrally but it is estimated that for staff in the civil service and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) the total number, as at September 2007, on the minimum wage is less than 1,000.

Revenue and Customs: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) individuals and  (b) members of the armed services or their families visited the Enquiry Centre at Regent House, Darlington in each year since 2003-04; and how many of these visits were in connection with tax credits.

Jane Kennedy: The total number of callers visiting the Darlington Enquiry Centre from 2003-04 to 2006-07 including those with tax credit enquiries were:
	
		
			   Callers  Tax Credit Enquiry 
			 2003-04 14,120 4,927 
			 2004-05 9,371 2,523 
			 2005-06 10,116 2,261 
			 2006-07 10,920 2,062 
		
	
	HMRC does not have the information to identify how many of those callers were members of the armed forces.

Second Homes: Highlands of Scotland

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he took into account the likely effect on demand for second homes in the Highlands in formulating his proposals to reduce the rate of capital gains tax;
	(2)  whether his Department has made an assessment of the factors affecting demand for second homes in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Government take a range of factors into consideration when formulating tax policy, and keeps all aspects of policy under review.

VAT: Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. member for North-East Bedfordshire of 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2243W, on VAT: Home Information Packs, what estimate his Department has made of the total gross revenue from VAT on  (a) home information packs and  (b) energy performance certificates in the first full year of operation if they are introduced across the whole housing market.

Jane Kennedy: No such estimates have been made.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written statement of the Financial Secretary of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 62WS, on tax credit administration, what estimate he has made of the amount of overpaid tax credits which will be written off as a consequence of the procedural error described in the written statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 11 October 2007
	An estimate for the amount written off in the accounts as a result of the procedural error is not yet available. It will be included in HMRC's 2007-08 accounts which will be published next year.